Total Drama Pearl Harbor
by bzwman
Summary: Duncan and Trent were best friends when they were little until a girl named Gwen appears and the fight for her in a war that they were sent for. What will their journey will be like. TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO MAKE THIS IN TOTAL DRAMA EDITION


Total Drama Pearl Harbor

Duncan/Rafe

Trent/Danny

Gwen/Evelyn

Beth/Sandra

Bridgette/Barbara

Izzy/Betty

Heather/Martha

Owen/Red

Justin/Anthony

Scott/Billy

Chris McLean/Doolittle/Other American Parts

Chef Hatchet/Various Japanese Parts

Out of BLACK we hear the sound of an airplane roaring by.

EXT. POV OF AN AIRPLANE

Flying over American heartland. We see the earth through the

pilot's perspective as sky and ground swap positions, the

plane swooping down and storming over the ground.

THE PLANE

is a biplane, racing over a field lush with young plants. It

releases a trail of crop spray, and climbs again...

Up into a crystalline blue sky where sunshine pours like

honey over family farms stretching to the horizon. Maybe

it's not heaven, maybe it's just Tennessee. But as long as

there's been an America, men have fought and died for this

place - as volunteers.

Far off, but visible from the plane is

A BARN - DAY

The barn is unpainted except for hand lettering that says

"McCawley Crop Dusting." Another plane noise, this one made

by kids, brings us to TWO BOYS, sitting in the shell of an

old plane propped on crates, scavenged of it's engine, seats,

and wheels.

The boys sit in it's cockpit, butts crowded onto the nail keg

they've replaced the seat with. They've even attached a 2x4

as propeller, as if their imaginations needed any help. They

wear overalls and have bowl haircuts: DUNCAN and TRENT, 10

years old.

DUNCAN

Bandits at 2 o'clock.

TRENT

Power dive!

They buzz their lips in a flying noise and work the controls,

Duncan's bare feet on one pedal, Trent's on the other.

DUNCAN

It's Germans!

TRENT

Kill the bastards!

Duncan looks at Trent in shock - then they both laugh and go

right back into their game, manufacturing their own machine

gun and engine sounds.

DUNCAN

Good shooting, Trent!

TRENT

Good shooting, Duncan!

DUNCAN

Land of the free...

TRENT

Home of the brave!

TRENT

There's another one!

Their vocal motors roar again... But a man's hand grabs Trent

by the straps of his overalls and jerks him from the cockpit.

It's Trent's FATHER and he's a fearsome sight; drunk, his

hair uncombed, his face unshaven, his teeth - those still

left - are rotting. He's also missing an arm; but the one

that's left is potent, and he's shaking Trent with it.

Trent'S FATHER

You no count boy! Johnson come lookin',

said he'd pay a dime for you to shovel

his pig shed, and I can't find you no

place.

TRENT

Daddy, I told you I was comin' here.

His father slaps him off his feet. Duncan is so horrified he

can't get a sound out. Trent isn't even surprised. But when

his father snatches him up again, twisting the overall straps

so tight they choke him, he struggles. It does no good; his

father starts marching across the field, dragging and

strangling Trent.

TRENT

Da!... Dad...

The father's drunken anger makes him oblivious - until

CRACK! The 2x4 propeller slams him across the back, knocking

him to the ground and making him drop Trent.

The father rolls over to see 10-year-old Duncan, holding the

2x4 like a bat.

DUNCAN

Let him alone!

The father's eyes bulge in rage; he struggles to his feet.

TRENT

Rafe... Daddy... No!

The man looks murderous, but Duncan draws back the board.

DUNCAN

I'll bust you open, you...German!

The words ring something deep in the man's booze-broken

brain. He begins to cough, convulsively; it brings a blossom

of blood to his mouth. He wipes it with his hand, but blood

clings to his teeth. He chokes out -

Trent's FATHER

I fought the Germans.

He looks at Trent in shame, with the realization of what he's

just done. He turns and staggers away.

Trent looks at Duncan- a communication between boys joined by

something deeper than blood. Then Trent runs off after his

father.

Trent

Daddy! Daddy! Wait.

Trent catches him, takes his father's hand, and walks away

with him.

The crop duster we saw in the air has just landed, behind

Duncan. The pilot, Duncan's FATHER, shuts off the engine.

DUNCAN'S FATHER

What's goin' on, son?

DUNCAN

Nothing. TRENT's Dad just come to get

him.

Duncan turns back to the ramshackle plane and replaces the 2x4

propeller. His father looks toward Trent and his father,

walking away, then looks at his own son.

DUNCAN'S FATHER

Hey, boy - you wanna go up?

DUNCAN can't believe it; he runs to the plane and hops into his

father's lap. As his father cranks the engine and tucks him

into the harness, DUNCAN says -

DUNCAN

Daddy, sometime will you take Danny up

too?

DUNCAN'S FATHER

Sure will, son.

The engine races to life...and we -

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. NEW JERSEY AIR BASE - DAY

American P-40 fighters blast through the air, props screaming

and wind singing by their wings.

There are eight pilots in their individual seats, and we

focus on two: DUNCAN MCCAWLEY has grown lean and handsome.

And TRENT WALKER is very much the same.

Their planes start swapping positions in the formation; while

the other guys are flying along in a tight line, DUNCAN and

TRENT are playing, one of them gunning his engine to go high,

the other diving and coming back up in his place,

leapfrogging.

It scares the other guys, having their planes flashing in and

out, so close. The TRAINING CAPTAIN, watching through

binoculars on the ground, talks into his RADIO -

TRAINING CAPTAIN

McCawley! Walker! Cut that out!

DUNCAN

I thought this was a training flight.

I'm just trying to give Danny some

training.

TRENT

Not on your best day, boy!

DUNCAN grins and guns his plane low, in the opposite direction

he was moving before. Danny reacts almost instantly...

leapfrogging in the opposite direction, scaring the piss out

of everybody else.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

That's it, get into a wedge!

The squadron responds, forming up into a tight V, DUNCAN and

TRENT just behind and on either side of the center.

DUNCAN

Didn't you say test the limits?

TRENT

Hey, you wanna test my limits, you better

line up a couple dozen women on the

GROUND...cause I got NO limits in the

air!

DUNCAN grins, loving the challenge. Then he and TRENT do the

leapfrogging maneuver laterally, swapping sides in the V.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

Everybody down!

EXT. NEW JERSEY AIRFIELD - DAY

The planes land in tight order and taxi off the runway; shut

down their props, slide back the canopies and hop down. We

see young pilots we'll get to know: ANTHONY, BILLY, RED.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

Where are McCawley and Walker?

EXT. DUNCAN AND TRENT - STILL IN THE AIR - DAY

They've circled to opposite ends of the airfield and are now

heading right at each other, like two bullets playing

chicken.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

Aw shit...

INT. THE COCKPITS

From DUNCAN and TRENT's POV, the rush is awesome.

THE PILOTS ON THE GROUND watch in awe as the P-40's get so

close they can't possibly get out of each other's way.

Billy, the most boyish-faced of the pilots, yells to drown

out the sound of the collision...

At the last instant, both planes snap a quarter turn so that

their wings are vertical, and they shoot past each other

belly to belly.

IN THE COCKPITS

Duncan and Trent burst out laughing.

THE PILOTS ON THE GROUND

laugh and congratulate each other.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

You know what they say... You can take the

crop duster out of the country - but

don't put him in a P-40.

Duncan banks to land, and Trent tucks in behind him. Trent has

Duncan's plane in his sights.

TRENT

If I had guns I'd be chewing up your -

Duncan feints left, banks right, and appears behind Danny.

DUNCAN

If you had guns, you'd be pissin' on 'em.

They're almost to the landing strip, Duncan behind Trent. But

as Trent's wheels are about to touch, he guns his engine and

snaps the nose of his plane straight up.

THE OTHER PILOTS stop laughing.

JUSTIN

He's doing an inside loop!

TRAINING CAPTAIN

Aw, shit...

TRENT pulls it off, just barely making a full circle to come

in behind Rafe and bounce to a stop on the runway.

TRENT

Yee-hawww!

TRENT taxis his plane over to join the others. He's grinning

as he slides back his cockpit cover; then -

TRENT

Where's Duncan?

Owen, tall with flaming orange hair, tips his chin toward the

air. Seeing Duncan's plane still in the air, Trent starts to

refasten his harness.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

You're down, Walker! That's an order!

TRENT

What about him?

TRAINING CAPTAIN

He's not taking my orders anymore.

Trent's just about to ask what the hell that means, when he

notices Rafe climbing in a deliberate spiral.

TRENT

He's gonna do it.

SCOTT

Do what?

TRENT

It.

(beat)

Aw, shit. Aw shit shit shit...

DUNCAN'S PLANE reaches two thousand feet, just a speck above

them, and seems to pause in the air.

TRENT

I shouldn't'a done an inside loop.

I shouldn't'a done an inside loop.

SCOTT

Why?

TRENT

Cause now he's gonna do an outside loop.

TRAINING CAPTAIN

Aw shit. Aw shit shit shit...

Anthony and Billy join in, like an involuntary chant -

JUSTIN & SCOTT

Aw shit shit shit...

DUNCAN, IN HIS COCKPIT, is tightly controlled, yet serene. He

noses the plane into a power dive.

The P-40 screams toward the ground, picking up speed, going

so fast it begins to shudder.

THE OTHER PILOTS are transfixed. OWEN is so nervous he can't

get the words out.

OWEN

Aw sh- sh- sh- sh-

SCOTT

Shit.

OWEN

Yeah.

TRENT

You can do it, Duncan. You can do it.

The P-40, hurtling toward the ground at nauseating speed,

snaps into a half roll, streaking upside down over the

runway. Duncan hangs inverted in his flight harness, the

asphalt of the runway shooting past, ten feet beyond his

head.

He pushes the plane into a climb, his cockpit on the outside

of the circle. The plane reaches the top of its arc, and

almost stalls; but Rafe noses it over again, toward the

earth, only this time he has very little altitude. The plane

hurtles down, still with it belly on the inside of the

curve...

And makes it full circle. Duncan's head now is barely a foot

off the asphalt as the plane shoots past, still inverted.

THE OTHER PILOTS burst into cheers.

DUNCAN, IN HIS COCKPIT permits himself a smile.

He lands, and the guys run out to meet him...all except for

the Training Captain, who stands there shaking his head.

Trent jumps on the wing, as Duncan stops and slides back his

canopy. Trent grabs him by the harness and shakes him.

TRENT

You could've killed yourself, you stupid

bastard!

He dives into the cockpit, hugging Duncan.

TRENT

That was the most beautiful thing I ever

saw.

INT. COLONEL McLEAN'S OFFICE - DAY

COLONEL CHRIS MCLEAN, mid-forties, is commander of the

base. He's as tough as he is good in the air. And right now

he's frowning at Duncan McCawley, standing at attention before

him.

McLEAN

There are some people who think the

outside loop is reckless and

irresponsible.

DUNCAN

How could it be irresponsible, Sir, if

you were the first man in the world to do

it?

McLEAN

Don't get smart with me, son.

DUNCAN

Never, Sir. I just meant it's dangerous

only for the kind of pilot who wants to

show off, rather than inspire the other

pilots in his unit. And all you've done

for me, Sir, working out the transfer, I

did it to say thanks. To honor you, Sir.

What the French call a "homage."

McLEAN

That's bullshit, son. But it's really

good bullshit.

DUNCAN

Thank you, Sir.

McLEAN stands, moves around his desk, and shakes Duncan's

hand.

McLEAN

Good luck over there McCawley. I admire

your decision.

DUNCAN

Thank you, Sir.

INT. NEW JERSEY AIRFIELD - BARRACKS - NIGHT

The pilots are getting slicked up for a night on the town.

TRENT's at the mirrors with the others; he's putting on

cologne, and looks terrific in his uniform.

Justin and Scott are combing their hair at the sinks. Scott

declares to his image in the mirror -

SCOTT

You good-lookin' sumbitch...don't you

EVER die!

JUSTIN

That's your line for tonight, ya know.

SCOTT

What, good-lookin' sumbitch?

JUSTIN

No, numbnuts, die. You get your nurse

alone, you look her in the eye, and say,

"Baby, they're training me for war, and I

don't know what'll happen. But if I die

tomorrow, I wanna know that we lived all

we could tonight." I've never known it

to fail.

Owen finishes brushing his teeth at the sink beside them.

OWEN

He's n-never known it to work, either.

The guys head out laughing, running into Duncan coming in.

TRENT

McLean didn't kill you? Attaboy!

Duncan catches Trent's arm.

DUNCAN

Trent, there's something I gotta tell

you...

EXT. NEW JERSEY BARRACKS - NIGHT

Duncan and Trent are walking on the parade ground; the other

guys are already on the bus that will take them into town.

Trent's upset by what Duncan just told him.

TRENT

How could you do this?

DUNCAN

The Colonel helped me work it out.

TRENT

I don't mean how'd you do the paperwork,

I mean how the hell did you do it without

letting me in on it?

DUNCAN

I'm sorry, Trent, but they're only

accepting the best pilots.

TRENT

Don't make this a joke, Duncan. You're

talking about war, and I know what war

does to people.

DUNCAN

Trent, you know how many times I saw you

come to school with a black eye or a

busted nose, and couldn't do a thing

about it - for you, or for your mother...

or your father, with his lungs scorched

out with mustard gas, and more left of

his lungs than there was of his spirit?

You've made your sacrifice, Trent. It's

time I made mine.

SCOTT

(from the bus)

The nurses are waiting!

DUNCAN

Let's go.

TRENT

Nah, you go on.

DUNCAN

I have to talk to Gwen. And I want you

to meet her.

TRENT

Some other time. I don't feel like a

party.

Trent walks away. The bus driver's ready to leave, and Owen

is honking the horn for Duncan to come. Duncan reluctantly lets

Trent go, and heads for the bus, where the pilots are

chanting -

PILOTS VOICE

Nurses! Nurses! Nurses!

INT. A MOVING TRAIN - DAY

The trains of 1942 have their own beauty, with felt seats,

shaded lamps, and paneled compartments even in the economy

section. But the glow of the train is outshone by GWEN

STEWART. She's one of ten young women, Army nurses, gathered

at one end of the car as it rattles along the track.

The other nurses are pretty and ripe - maybe a bit too

ripe. Their lips painted bright red, their faces powdered,

their spirits high.

Gwen listens in amusement to IZZY, a cute blonde with

unmissable boobs, and BRIDGETTE, a burnette equally endowed.

IZZY

Do you have trouble with your boobs in

the uniform?

BRIDGETTE

You mean hiding them?

IZZY

Hide them? On a date with pilots? I'm

talking about how you make them show!

BETH, another nurse, speaks up.

BETH

Loan 'em to me, I'll make 'em show.

IZZY

The boobs or the pilots?

The girls laugh and shove each others' knees; it's a party

wherever they go. But Gwen can't keep her mind on the

frivolity. She looks out the window and her thoughts drift

away.

BRIDGETTE

We'll ask Gwen. Gwen? Gwen!

IZZY

Ooo, she's thinking of her date! Come

on, you've been dating a pilot. We want

to know what we can expect.

Suddenly all the girlish faces are looking at Gwen.

GWEN

I've been dating one pilot. And only for

a few weeks. But I know he's different

from all the others.

Beth throws up her arms and swoons onto her friends.

BETH

True love!...

IZZY

Morphine, give her morphine!

BRIDGETTE

Give her an enema.

GWEN

But I do have a warning for you. There's

one line you all need to know, and you're

likely to hear it from any man in a

uniform. It goes like this: "Honey,

Baby... We never know what's gonna happen,

and I may die tomorrow...so, let's live

all we can tonight."

A silence among the nurses.

BRIDGETTE

I tell you. Any one of those arrogant,

leather-jacketed, slick-lookin' flyboys

tries that line on me...he's gonna get

anything he wants.

As the nurses laugh -

EXT. NEW YORK TRAIN STATION - NIGHT

Our pilots - indeed leather-jacketed and handsome - are

waiting on the platform. Among then is Duncan, holding

something behind his back, as the train pulls in and shudders

to a stop, clouds of steam jetting onto the platform and

giving the moment a dream-like haze.

INT./ EXT. TRAIN - NEW YORK TRAIN STATION - NIGHT

The nurses start stepping out; both pilots and nurses pretend

surprise to see each. At the door of the train, Gwen

whispers to Izzy -

GWEN

Stick with me, I'll find you somebody

good.

Izzy spot's Duncan.

IZZY

I'll take that one.

GWEN

He's taken. But come on, I'll introduce

you.

They move to Duncan; he crosses the platform to meet them, his

eyes holding Gwen.

DUNCAN

Hello, Lieutenant. Good to see you.

GWEN

You too, Lieutenant.

Izzy clears her throat.

GWEN

Oh, this is Izzy.

DUNCAN

Nice to meet you, Izzy.

He draws his hand from behind his back; he's holding two

roses. He hands one to Gwen and the second to Izzy.

DUNCAN

Trent would'a brought this.

He escorts them along the platform.

GWEN

Trent's not coming?

DUNCAN

No, he...got some news today. He'll be

okay, he just didn't feel like coming

tonight.

GWEN

I was hoping to meet him.

IZZY

I was hoping to meet him.

DUNCAN

We'll just have to find a substitute,

won't we?

Izzy stops, and faces Duncan.

IZZY

I just want to tell you one thing. If

you're thinking this might be your last

night on earth?... I'm prepared to make

it meaningful.

(leaning close)

Very meaningful.

GWEN

At ease, Izzy!

INT. CITY NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT

It's a party in full swing; swing music, jitterbugging,

beautiful young men and women in high spirits.

Duncan and Gwen are sitting at a big table with the other

pilots and nurses. Justin's paired up with Beth, Scott

with Bridgette, and Owen, shyest of the group, finds himself

next to Izzy. Izzy's already found a companion in Owen

Strange.

OWEN

He, I'm O-Owen. Owen S-Strange.

IZZY

Owen...Strange?

OWEN

You know the football player, Owen G-

Grange? Well the guys called me O-Owen,

cause you know, I'm Owen...and they

thought I was strange, so, you know, Owen

G-Grange, Red Str-Strange.

IZZY

But...they called you Strange? Because

of Owen Grange? I don't get it. Was Owen

Grange strange?

OWEN

How would I know.

Beside her beer is an open ketchup bottle; he picks it up and

swigs from that. DUNCAN and GWEN see this, and try to keep

from laughing.

IZZY

Do you always stutter?

OWEN

Only when I'm n-n-n-

IZZY

Nervous?

OWEN

Yeah. But if I have to get something

out, I c-can always s-s-s-

(he sings)

SIIING!

She covers his hand with hers.

IZZY

Don't be nervous.

OWEN looks at IZZY with love in his eyes. Under the table,

DUNCAN and GWEN join hands too.

GWEN

There shipping us out. Hawaii. The

Germans are overrunning Europe, and we're

sent to paradise. How about you? Have

you heard anything?

He hesitates; then GWEN is distracted by the conversation

beside them, between BRIDGETTE and SCOTT.

SCOTT

You're a very special woman, and...well

baby, they're training me for war, and we

don't know what happens tomorrow. So we

gotta make tonight special.

BRIDGETTE shoots a look at GWEN, before she answers.

BRIDGETTE

I hope you can back that up, flyboy.

Cause you're not ever gonna forget

tonight.

She takes him by the hand and pulls him to his feet... They

start dancing, sexy movements that won't stop till they've

been in bed.

Duncan pulls Gwen to her feet, and leads her through the

dancers, outside.

EXT. THE NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT

They find a quiet place on a balcony that overlooks the

river, and Manhattan beyond. Gwen takes in the view,

breathes in the air; she still holds the rose.

GWEN

Whatever you're trying to tell me isn't

good, is it. Or it wouldn't be so hard

to say.

DUNCAN

The only reason it's hard to say is that

I keep thinking I don't have the right to

say it. But I've got to because it's

true. I love you.

(beat)

That must surprise you.

GWEN

It surprises me that I'm not the only one

on this balcony who feels that way.

The power of hearing this from each other grips them both.

RAFE

There's one thing I have to say. I'm

going away.

GWEN

We're all going away.

DUNCAN

I'm going to the war. The real war.

Hitler's taken Europe. The Brits are

hanging on by their fingernails, and If

they lose, there'll be more people killed

than anybody can imagine. And not just

there, but here.

GWEN

But you're in the U.S. Army, how could

you -

DUNCAN

Colonel McLean pulled the strings, and

put me on loan to the R.A.F. They need

pilots, and we need experience. I leave

tomorrow.

GWEN

You waited til tonight to tell me?

DUNCAN

I had to tell you in person. Because

there's something else I need to say.

He studies her face, burning it into his memory.

DUNCAN

Gwen...you know the line - let's make

tonight memorable. What I feel about you

makes it impossible for me to say

something like that. If I don't come

back, I don't want to saddle you with

regret and sadness you'll carry the rest

of your life.

GWEN

I don't know if you can choose that,

Duncan.

DUNCAN

Maybe not. But I need you to know. I

love you. And I will come back. I'll

find a way. And then we'll get a chance

to know if what I felt the first moment I

saw you, and every minute since then, is

real.

GWEN

Do one thing for me, before you go.

She takes his hand and leads him inside.

INT. NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT

She leads him onto the dance floor, and they dance, among the

others, yet in a world apart from everyone else. And then

they stop while all the others move around them, and kiss the

kind of kiss that lasts a lifetime.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

The nurses are entering the hotel. Pilots are going in with

them. But DUNCAN and GWEN stop on the street.

A last kiss. Their hands touch a final time, and then part.

She moves inside the lobby, and looks out the glass doors as

he walks away.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAWN

Duncan and Trent stand on the platform. Duncan's got his gear

packed in a bag slung over his shoulder.

CONDUCTOR'S VOICE

All aboard!

Duncan glances once more toward the revolving doors from the

station that lead onto the platform.

TRENT

Didn't you say you told her not to come?

DUNCAN

Yeah.

TRENT

Then why are you looking for her?

DUNCAN

It's a test. If I asked her to come and

she came, it wouldn't tell me anything.

If I tell her not to come, and she

comes...then I know she loves me.

VOICE

ALL ABOARD!

TRENT

You're still a kid, ya know that? Take

care of yourself.

DUNCAN

You too.

Duncan sticks his hand out to Trent. Trent knocks it away, and

hugs him.

Duncan steps onto the train, and it pulls away. Duncan waves.

Trent waves back and smiles, but he whispers like a prayer...

TRENT

Give 'em hell, Duncan.

INT. TRAIN - DAWN

Duncan finds a seat and sits down. He's the only one in the

car, and he's deeply alone.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAWN

Trent walks to one of the three revolving doors back into the

station. He takes the one on the far right. As he passes

through it, he doesn't see Gwen rushing through the door on

the left side. She's told herself she wouldn't come, but

couldn't help it, and now as she sees the last car of the

train disappearing around the corner the pain of it all hits

her.

She stands on the empty platform, as lonely as Duncan.

MONTAGE - THE JOURNEYS

Duncan and Gwen travel in opposite directions, toward

opposite ends of the earth...

EXT. A GRAY, COLD, CANADIAN SEAPORT - DAY

as Duncan boards a Canadian naval vessel headed into the North

Atlantic.

EXT. TRAIN - TRAVELING THROUGH THE AMERICAN WEST - DAY

Gwen and her fellow nurses ride the train through the

American southwest. The scenery outside the window is

beautiful, but her thoughts are far away...

EXT. NORTH ATLANTIC - DAY

Duncan's ship is in a convoy through the rough gray waters.

The deck is loaded with military supplies bound for Britain.

Duncan stands among the drab crates and seems oblivious to the

rain, his thoughts on Gwen.

He looks toward the eastern horizon, where his ship is

heading. A deep, dark storm is brewing before them...

EXT. PACIFIC - DAY

Gwen stands on the deck of a ship headed in the opposite

direction, on another ocean, the sky is clear, the breeze is

warm, the light of a glowing sunset bathes her face. The

MONTAGE ENDS, with them heading to different ends of the

earth.

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - DUSK

In the eternal dusk of England, everything is cold and gray.

British fighter planes - Spitfires and Hurricanes - are

surrounded by mechanics hurriedly ripping off bullet riddled

fuselage panels and digging into overworked aircraft engines.

Duncan walks across the tarmac, still carrying his duffel bag.

He moves up behind a slim, pale BRITISH AIR COMMANDER who is

surveying engine damage on one of the Spitfires.

DUNCAN

Duncan McCawley, Sir.

Duncan salutes as the Air Commander turns and then returns the

salute, with his left arm - his right arm is gone. Duncan

freezes at the sight, reminded of Trent's father.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

On loan from Colonel McLean, is it?

DUNCAN

That's me, Sir.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

Good on you, then, Duncan McCawley. We'll

get you situated in some quarters, and

then introduce you to the equipment

you'll be flying.

DUNCAN

If you're patching up bullet holes right

here on the runway, maybe we should skip

the housekeeping and get right to the

planes.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

Are all the Yanks as anxious as you are

to get yourself killed, Lieutenant?

DUNCAN

Not anxious to die, Sir, anxious to

matter.

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - DAY

A Spitfire sits on the runway, and it's badly mangled - a

string of bullet holes punched through at mid-fuselage; a

shot-off chunk of wingtip; but most striking is the blood

still splattered over the inside of the cockpit.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

Good lad. Didn't die till he'd landed

and shut down his engine. Welcome to the

war.

He walks away, leaving Duncan to stare at the bloody cockpit.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - MILITARY BASE - DAY

Gwen and the nurses enter the base, riding in two jeeps.

As they stop at the gate, the guards look at them, especially

Gwen in the lead jeep; one guard mumbles to the other -

GUARD

I've died and gone to heaven.

The guards lift the bar and smile at the nurses. The jeeps

drive through. The nurses are loving this island paradise

already.

BRIDGETTE

You know the ratio of men to women on

this island? Four-thousand...to one.

BRIDGETTE slides on a new pair of sunglasses with plastic palm

trees glued on the sides, and calls back to the guards as the

jeeps pull away -

BRIDGETTE

See ya on the beach, boys!

EXT. MILITARY BASE - NURSES' QUARTERS - OAHU - DAY

As the other nurses happily unpack, GWEN leaves and crosses

the grass in the drenching sunshine. We follow her into -

INT. BASE HOSPITAL - DAY

She finds a small, immaculately clean hospital, twenty beds

with luminous white sheets, all empty.

Then she notices the view. It's of Pearl Harbor, with the

entire American Pacific fleet riding at anchor. Battleships

all in a row. Aircraft carriers too, in perfect stillness on

the aqua blue water with a white sand bottom. The view is

expansive and beautiful.

The sound of an approaching fighter plane with wing guns

firing as we -

CUT TO:

EXT. THE DARK SKIES OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL - DAY

Duncan, in the middle of an aerial dogfight, throws his

Spitfire into a tight turn, swinging around to fire again

into a squadron of Messerschmidts; they outnumber the British

planes, and they're tougher and faster. Duncan darts through

their line, machine guns blazing.

One of the Spitfires in Duncan's squadron has taken hits in the

engine compartment and is sputtering, losing power, its

pilot, NIGEL, frantic as the German planes swarm into finish

him.

BRITISH PILOT (NIGEL)

I need help! Someone get them off me!

Duncan slams his control stick hard right and goes into a power

dive at one of the Messerschmidts. Duncan's bullets chew up

its cockpit and the plane goes into a fast corkscrew spiral,

down into the water.

Duncan instantly climbs again. Nigel, in the moment of safety

Duncan has bought him, bails out, his chute blossoming and

carrying him toward the water. The OTHER BRITISH PILOTS are

impressed.

OTHER BRITISH PILOT

(into radio)

Nigel's out! I'll call in the position!

(to himself)

That Yank is bloody good.

Duncan swings his plane right back at the Germans; he attacks

them head on, just like he went at Trent, only this time he's

firing his machine guns.

And OVER THIS ferocious dogfight, we hear his letter to

Gwen...

DUNCAN'S VOICE (LETTER)

Dear Gwen... It is cold here. So cold,

in a way that goes deep into your bones.

The Messerschmidt in Duncan's sights breaks apart with the

stream of precise fire he pours into it, its prop flying into

pieces, its disintegration accelerated by its airspeed.

Before it completely comes apart, it explodes.

Duncan goes into another tight turn, to get at them again.

DUNCAN'S VOICE (LETTER)

It's not easy making friends. Two nights

ago I drank a beer with a couple of the

R.A.F. pilots - beer's the only thing

here that isn't cold - and yesterday both

of them got killed...

As Duncan starts another attack we see him in the cockpit, in

the trance of battle, as other Spitfires around him are

getting shot out of the sky...as we -

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Gwen, receiving the letter at mail call.

She sits on the grass under a palm tree, in paradise, reading

his letter.

DUNCAN'S VOICE (LETTER)

There is one place I can go to find

warmth, and that is to think of you.

EXT. OUTDOOR RESTAURANT - OAHU - DAY

Gwen is off duty, and wears a light cotton dress. She's

let her hair down, and her skin has the sheen of light sweat

in the tropical heat.

The restaurant is barely more than a shelter of palm wood

posts with a frond roof, and it looks out over the harbor.

Evelyn sits alone. She's brought writing paper. As the

Hawaiian waiter serves her an icy tropical ambrosia with

chunks of pineapple and a fresh plumeria flower floating at

the rim of the glass, she lifts her pen.

But before she can start to write, three naval officers move

over to her table from the bar. They're out of uniform too,

wearing garish tropical shirts.

NAVY GUY 1

A woman beautiful as you shouldn't be

sitting alone. Buy you a drink?

GWEN

Thank you...Ensign.

The guys look at each other, impressed that she could tell.

NAVY GUY 1

Ensign! Smart too!

NAVY GUY 2

So how about that drink? Or dinner?

GWEN

Thank you, but...I really want to be

alone right now.

NAVY GUY 3

Want to see something long and hard?

He shows her the tattoo of an anchor on his forearm. GWEN

looks away from them, toward the harbor.

GWEN

I'm sorry. I've got a letter to write.

NAVY GUY 3

Cold bitch.

His friends start to pull him away, but GWEN's eyes flare.

GWEN

What did you say?

NAVY GUY 3

I said you're cold.

GWEN

Cold? No, I'm just thinking about a war.

And maybe you should be too.

They leave, shaking their heads. Gwen picks up her pen,

and writes.

GWEN'S VOICE (LETTER)

Dear Duncan... It's strange to be so far

from you in body, and so close to you in

spirit. But if our spirits really give

our bodies life, then you should know

this: Every night I look at the sunset,

and try to draw the last ounce of heat

from its long day...

She looks toward the sunset now; then she writes again...

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - NIGHT

Duncan brings his battered plane in for a landing...

INT. BRITISH AIRFIELD BARRACKS - NIGHT

Duncan sits on his cot, reading her letter.

GWEN'S VOICE (LETTER)

...and send it from my heart to yours.

Duncan is startled as the Air Commander appears beside his

bunk.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

Air-Sea Rescue picked up Nigel. He'll be

back with us tomorrow.

Duncan nods, glad to hear the news. The Commander starts to

walk away, then turns back.

BRITISH AIR COMMANDER

Some of us look down on the Yanks for not

yet joining this war. I'd just like to

say that if there are many more back home

like you, God help anyone who goes to war

with America.

The Commander salutes, with his left hand. And Duncan salutes

too - with his left hand.

EXT. ESTABLISHING THE WHITE HOUSE - WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY

The White House looks somehow whiter and purer in the glow of

1941.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

GENERALS, ADMIRALS, and other advisors sit around the

polished table - all males, in suits and in uniforms. The

door opens, and the men all stand.

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT appears, in a wheelchair, pushed

by a huge black valet, GEORGE. The President's legs are

shriveled, braced with the iron supports that attach to his

shoes and are apparent beneath the cloth of his pin-striped

pants. From the waist up Roosevelt is heavily muscled,

powerful, and handsome even in his little spectacles. The

valet rolls him to the head of the table; he's speaking even

before he settles in.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Please be seated, gentlemen.

They sit, as one.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Churchill and Stalin are asking me what

I'm asking you: How long is America

going to pretend the world is not at war?

GENERAL MARSHALL

We've increased supply shipments to them,

Mr. President, and we're losing merchant

vessels every day.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Shift in every destroyer and anti-

aircraft weapon you can find.

ADMIRAL

Sir, our Pacific Fleet is already down

to almost nothing.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Gentlemen, at this moment the nation of

Hungry has a larger military then the

United States. We have no choice but to

draw from whatever we can.

EXT. ESTABLISHING TOKYO - JAPAN - NIGHT

INT. JAPANESE HIGH COMMAND - NIGHT

The Conference Room is similar to that of the White House.

But this table is low and all the men sit on the floor. And

there are no civilians here; Japan is now a nation ruled by

its warriors.

The last man to enter the room and take his place is ADMIRAL

YAMAMOTO. Harvard educated, Yamamoto is an object of

veneration and suspicion among the men of the war council.

Yamamoto bows, sits, and looks across the table at his friend

Genda, who can't hide his fear. Yamamoto glances to the far

end of the table where NISHIKURA, chief of the War Council,

sits glowering. (Their discussion is in Japanese, with

subtitles.)

NISHIKURA

So you join us, Admiral. Some of us

thought your education at an American

university would make you too weak to

fight the Americans.

YAMAMOTO

If knowledge of opponents and careful

calculation of danger is taken as

weakness then I have misunderstood what

it means to be Japanese.

NISHIKURA

The time has come to strike! Or to sit

and let the Americans cut off our oil and

our future. I know what you whisper to

the others, Yamamoto - that the Americans

are strong. Yet look at their leader.

He motions to OYAMA, an intelligence analyst, who opens a

file and lays out pictures of Roosevelt.

OYAMA

Franklin Roosevelt. Born into great

wealth. Fifteen years ago, he was

stricken with polio. Now he cannot walk,

or even stand without help.

Photographers will not take pictures of

him in his chair; Americans do not wish

to know how weak their President is.

Yamamoto makes a low grunt.

NISHIKURA

You have something to say, Yamamoto?

YAMAMOTO

The Council knows I have opposed fighting

the Americans. No matter how great our

resolve, they have resources beyond ours.

If we must go to war, there is only one

way - deal them a blow from which it will

take them years to recover. In that time

we can conquer all of the Pacific, and

they will have no choice but to ask for

peace.

NISHIKURA

You see us as capable of such a blow?

YAMAMOTO

The Americans themselves have made it

possible. We will annihilate them in a

single attack - at Pearl Harbor.

The members of the war council are so pleased with Yamamoto

that they bow to him. Only Genda keeps his eyes raised long

enough to see the sadness in Yamamoto's face.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - AIR BASE - BARRACKS - DAY

Trent Walker and his pilot buddies have just arrived; they

enter the barracks, talking happily.

OWEN

If I ain't n-never on a b-boat again,

it'll be too s-soon.

SCOTT

Where are the women on this -

Trent has stopped before the others; now all of them see that

the other pilots who inhabit this air base are still in their

beds, sleeping off hangovers. They wear Hawaiian shirts;

they haven't shaved.

OWEN

They're s-still asleep!

Trent pauses for a moment, then shouts -

TRENT

Drop your cocks and grab your socks,

boys! The terror of the skies are here!

The sleeping pilots groan, and cover their heads with their

pillows.

JUSTIN

They're all drunk.

One guy sits up in bed, his hair pointing every direction of

the compass, his tongue working as if to wipe a terrible

taste from his mouth. As his feet dangle over the side of

the bunk and one of them touches the floor, a sensation

reaches his sotted brain; he raises that foot to look at its

bottom, and finds a new tattoo, on the sole of his foot; he

blinks as if trying to remember how it got there.

Danny moves over to him, and dubs him with a name, COMA.

TRENT

Hey. You. Mr. Coma.

COMA

Where's that lizard?

TRENT

What lizard?

COMA

The one that slept in my mouth last

night.

TRENT

What the hell happened to you guys?

Coma is one of those drunks who speak as if he's always about

to burp.

COMA

Ever hear of mai-tai's? Comes in a

big...pot. Like...like...

OWEN

A m-missionary?

COMA

No, like...

Coma emits a pukey, toxic burp that has Trent and his buddies

wincing back from the fumes.

TRENT

This is an Air Base? Where's your squad

commander?

The question soaks through to Coma's brain. His right hand

points...and his left hand points...in different directions.

His hands float around in the air until finally both of them

are indicating the same direction, behind his back. In the

bunk beyond Coma's is another drunk pilot in a Hawaiian

shirt...and to judge by the shapely bronzed leg that

protrudes from under his damp sheet, there's a woman with him

too.

TRENT and his buddies are speechless - except for OWEN

Strange.

OWEN

I th-think I'm gonna like it here.

COMA

You guys are new?

TRENT

Yeah.

COMA

Mai-tai's. I got this to tell ya, about

mai-tai's.

Coma's head drifts forward slowly; they think for a moment

he's looking for something under the bed. Then he pukes.

Danny leaps back from the splatter, and marches out of the

barracks; his friends follow.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - AIRFIELD - DAY

TRENT and his buddies stride up to the airfield. It's full

of fighter planes - and they're all bunched together in

clusters on the field. TRENT grabs a MECHANIC.

TRENT

Hey! What is this, the planes all

bunched up like that?

MECHANIC

The brass is afraid of sabotage. This

makes 'em easier to protect - and easier

to service.

TRENT

What about easier to hit in an air raid?

MECHANIC

Who's gonna to that? Japan is four

thousand miles away. So you guys just

arrived, huh?

TRENT

Yeah.

MECHANIC

We got a saying here. A-low-HA!

The mechanic walks off. TRENT and the guys are left standing

on the tarmac.

TRENT

Well guys...I reckon there's just one

thing to do...

INT. OAHU BAR - DAY

TRENT and the pilots are in Hawaiian shirts, their party in

full swing. A bucket-sized hollowed-out volcano sits in the

middle of the table, with twelve straws emerging from the

crater. It's full of booze - or was; TRENT and the other

guys are pulling heartily at the straws, and they gurgle as

the last liquid is sucked dry.

OWEN

More m-mai-tai's!

Coma is sitting there with them, beside OWEN.

COMA

Absolutely right.

Everybody's having a ball, the new arrivals fitting right in

with the others. TRENT's a bit off to himself, lost in his

own thoughts. Scott and Justin are doing the hula to the

Hawaiian music playing.

COMA

No, you guys aren't doing it right. It's

in the hands. They talk story.

Coma stands and starts demonstrating, explaining the gestures

of his hula.

COMA

Fish swim in ocean... Happy in the Mother

Sea... Girl, beautiful girl, with big

jugs, walks into water...waves lapping at

her thighs...

JUSTIN

I never knew those dances were so

sophisticated.

COMA

...Fish nibble at her breasts...

Coma's really into his dance, his hands over enormous

imaginary breasts; but as he turns toward the windows -

COMA

A more beautiful girl walks by...

The guys see GWEN passing on the other side of the street,

gorgeous in the sunshine. Coma's hands start squeezing the

imaginary breasts of his hula.

SCOTT

Hey, isn't that GWEN?

Danny moves up to look.

TRENT

Duncan's girl, Gwen?

COMA

You guys know her? I gotta have an

intro! Man, I'd like to -

Trent's hand is suddenly around Coma's larynx.

TRENT

A friend of mine's in love with her. So

you don't even look - not ever.

Trent releases him and Coma staggers back to the table to

nuzzle up to one of the straws of the mai-tai volcano.

Trent looks out the window again and sees Gwen's beautiful

form disappear around the corner, on her way back to the base

hospital. Trent moves back to the table, and as two burly

Hawaiian waiters set another full loaded mai-tai volcano onto

the center of the table, he picks up a glass and dips it full

of the potent liquid. He shouts to the whole room -

Trent

I'm a better pilot than any son-of-a-

bitch on this island! So I'm the one to

say this! Here's to Duncan McCawley! A

better pilot...and a better man...than

me.

The other pilots drink up - from glasses or from straws.

OTHER PILOTS

To Duncan.

Trent drains the whole glass at one chug, and slams it down

onto the table. Then he blinks, puts a hand on his stomach,

and frowns. Coma recognizes the look.

COMA

Uh oh. Volcanic eruption!

Trent bends at the waist; his head obscured by the table.

COMA

Shit, he's puking on my feet!

OWEN

Well, you p-puked on his feet.

COMA

Yeah, but he was wearing shoes!

INT. ADMIRAL KIMMEL'S OFFICE - OAHU - DAY

ADMIRAL KIMMEL is Commander of the American Pacific Fleet.

Two members of his staff are standing uncomfortably in front

of him, having delivered a message from the Joint Chiefs of

Staff.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

...transfer twelve more destroyers to

Atlantic Fleet, and all the available

anti-aircraft weaponry? Washington has

gone insane!

Kimmel's STRATEGIC ANALYST speaks up.

STRATEGIC ANALYST

We've done what you ordered, Admiral, and

war gamed the likely outcome of a

Japanese attack against each of our major

bases in the Pacific. Wake, Guam,

Midway, the Philippines. In each case,

we lose.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

You left out Hawaii.

STRATEGIC ANALYST

Pearl Harbor can't be attacked

effectively from the air. It's too

shallow for an aerial torpedo attack.

Pearl Harbor's safe. It's everywhere

else that we're vulnerable.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

Step up surveillance of Japanese

communications. They're gonna do

something somewhere. I can feel it.

EXT. THE SKIES ABOVE OAHU - DAY

A seaplane takes tourists on an excursion above Pearl Harbor

and around the island of Oahu. One Japanese tourist shoots

pictures rapidly...first of the ships as seen from overhead;

then he leans to the other side of the plane and shoots

pictures of the airfield below them.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Another Japanese tourist hikes through the hills above Pearl

Harbor. He takes an excellent camera from his picnic basket,

and shoots pictures.

CLOSE - THE PICTURES, being carried down a hallway, into -

INT. JAPANESE PLANNERS OFFICE - DAY

The courier places the pictures onto the table in front of

Yamamoto, Genda, and the other JAPANESE OFFICERS.

GENDA

Look at the ships - all grouped. Perfect

targets!

JAPANESE OFFICER

And the planes! They are - what is that

American expression? Sitting geese?

YAMAMOTO

Sitting ducks.

JAPANESE OFFICER

How can they be so foolish?

YAMAMOTO

They think no one would be stupid enough

to attack them at Pearl Harbor.

GENDA

Or perhaps they think no one is capable.

Look at this...

He moves to a diagram displayed on the wall - a simple

display showing water depth and ship displacement.

GENDA

Pearl Harbor's depth of only forty feet

makes them feel safe. A torpedo dropped

from an airplane plunges to one hundred

feet before it can level off. That is a

conventional torpedo. But we have been

experimenting.

From a stand beside his diagram he takes a set of wooden

fins, attached to a circular metallic band.

GENDA

Wooden fins. We are testing them

tomorrow.

EXT. JAPANESE ISLAND - DAY

Yamamoto and his planners have flown to a quiet Japanese

island, sunlit and pleasant. They are gathered on the shore

of the island's natural harbor. Wooden targets - basically

huge plank barriers - are sunk into the water like ships at

anchor. A squadron of Japanese planes zooms overhead, taking

up attack positions.

GENDA

We have chosen this place because its

depth is exactly the same as Pearl

Harbor's.

Genda speaks into a field radio. A lone plane drops out of

formation and goes into a low-level approach, speeding up and

dropping its torpedo.

BELOW THE SURFACE we see the torpedo as it plunges at two

hundred miles an hour into the sunlit sea. With the wooden

fins the torpedo makes a sharp dip and levels off above the

sea floor.

ABOVE THE SURFACE the planners see the path of the torpedo;

it hits the wooden barrier with a satisfying THUNK. The

planners are impressed - but Yamamoto is not satisfied.

YAMAMOTO

Uncharged torpedoes have different

balance.

GENDA

I have arranged a live fire drill - with

your permission.

Yamamoto nods; Genda speaks again into his radio, and another

plane swoops down and drops a torpedo. Genda holds his hands

to his ears, causing the others to do the same; even though

they wonder at the need.

The torpedo hits the barrier, and the explosion is deafening,

and of shocking force; the entire barrier is blown to

toothpicks.

GENDA

Of course against a ship the explosion

will not be dissipated, and will have

more force.

The planners, nearly blown off their feet, nod as if they

knew that all the time.

INT. MILITARY BASE - PILOTS' BARRACKS - NIGHT

The pilots are getting slicked up.

SCOTT

Are you sure they're here?

JUSTIN

If GWEN's here, the rest are here!

Red moves up beside him to frown at the mirror. His hair is

plastered down and parted, his uniform's immaculate.

JUSTIN

Looking good, Owen.

OWEN

Shut up.

OWEN moves away, to polish his shoes.

JUSTIN

What is it with OWEN? I've never seen him

this way.

SCOTT

He's been like that all day. Hey TRENT,

you coming?

TRENT

Nah, I'm gonna stay here. Read.

JUSTIN and SCOTT look at each other; TRENT's in his bunk,

and he's not reading, just staring at the ceiling.

INT. NURSES' BARRACKS - PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

The nurses are primping to go out; Gwen is in her uniform

getting ready to go back to work.

BRIDGETTE

Now listen, it's hands off Scott. I

mean, you can put your hands on him if

you want to, but then my hands will break

yours.

IZZY

He was that good?

BRIDGETTE

No, I was.

EXT. NURSES' QUARTERS - OAHU - NIGHT

Creeping through the vegetation, Owen leads Justin and Scott

to a spot outside the nurses' barracks; they can see the

girls through the barracks window.

SCOTT

Owen, Peeping Tom stuff can get us court-

marshaled.

OWEN

Shhh!

JUSTIN and SCOTT are baffled, even more so when OWEN strides

into the open, right outside the nurses' window.

And then, OWEN begins to sing.

OWEN

(singing)

Oh...Izzy, Izzy, Izzy, you're the one

for me, Izzy, Izzy, Izzy, Izzy, can't

you see...

JUSTIN and SCOTT look at each other, dumbfounded. The

nurses move to the open windows. OWEN's singing is pretty

good - though not that good. But he doesn't stutter when he

sings.

OWEN

(singing)

I'll be yours for eternity, Izzy, Izzy,

Izzy, Izzy, Izzy!

JUSTIN and SCOTT are hysterical, trying to keep their

laughter hidden. But then they see the effect this is having

on the women - especially on Izzy. She's smitten.

Owen repeats the verse, really getting into it; when he

finishes, Izzy runs out and hugs him, as all the nurses

applaud. They move off into the darkness, arm and arm.

The nurses go back to their primping.

JUSTIN and SCOTT are changed men. JUSTIN stands up;

SCOTT's baffled. JUSTIN moves out and starts singing.

JUSTIN

(singing)

Oh Beth...I like you...love you...

He's terrible. The nurses pelt him with hairbrushes,

curlers, shoes...

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - DAY

Coming out of the blustery skies at the end of another deadly

day, a squadron of Spitfires chirps in for landings. The

planes are shot up and battered.

Duncan is one of the pilots; the fuselage below his cockpit is

marked with four swastikas, symbols of his victories. He

taxis to a stop, and is met by IAN, a Scottish mechanic, who

is dismayed at the state of the plane.

IAN

Leapin' Jesus!

DUNCAN

(climbing down)

The struts are loose, the hydraulics are

leaking, and the electrical system's

shorting out in the cockpit.

IAN

Well which of those three ya want fixed?

DUNCAN

All of 'em.

Rafe starts away, and Ian calls to his back -

IAN

If ye'd wanted a bloody Cadillac ya

should'a stayed in the bloody States!

DUNCAN

And if you don't give me a plane that can

handle combat, you better start learning

to speak German.

IAN

Fook ya!

DUNCAN

Learn English, then!

IAN

Fook ya dooble!

Duncan moves to the barracks; Ian keeps the fueling hose going,

and moves to help the armorers reload the guns.

INT. BRITISH AIRFIELD BARRACKS - NIGHT

Duncan falls down onto his cot, exhausted. The other pilots do

the same, everybody spent from the day's combat. Then they

hear the SIREN. Duncan's out of his bunk, with the others,

everybody running.

BRITISH PILOT

Bloody Krauts! Night raid!

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - NIGHT

They race across the runway. Duncan reaches his Spitfire, just

as Ian is removing the fueling hose.

IAN

I have'na been able ta -

DUNCAN

Crank her!

Ian gives the prop a spin, and the engine roars to life.

IAN

God speed ya, laddie.

EXT. SKIES OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL - NIGHT

It's dark, but there are breaks in the clouds, giving way to

patches of light from a full moon. The squadron of Spitfires

tightens up for battle.

Duncan is positioned just right of the squad leader; he sees

planes breaking out of the dark clouds ahead.

DUNCAN

Here they come.

The clouds break, revealing a huge attack formation.

BRITISH SQUAD LEADER

Alpha group, on the bombers! Beta group,

take the fighters!

They peel off, into action.

EXT. THE AIR BATTLE OVER THE CHANNEL - NIGHT

We stay with Duncan as he and the Squad Leader rush side by

side at the lead bomber, blasting away with their guns.

INT. GERMAN BOMBER - IN THE AIR - NIGHT

The Spitfires' bullets rip into the pilot and also kill the

nose gunner; the bomber dips as the copilot struggles to take

control.

INT. RAFE, IN HIS SPITFIRE - NIGHT

As he streaks past, Duncan sees the bomber wobble in the air.

DUNCAN

We've got him hurt, stay on him!

Duncan throws his plane into an ultra-tight, high speed turn,

right between the tails of the leader German group and the

noses of the second. His turn is so tight that the plane

flexes with the g-force.

Duncan comes out of his turn ahead of the Squad Leader, and

races back up through the formation of German bombers, moving

above them where their weapons and armaments are the weakest.

He stitches a trail of bullets from tail to nose of the

wounded lead bomber; it begins to smoke.

The second Spitfire, the Squad Leader's, takes fire from the

other German bombers, and shears off, heading through the

smoke of the plane Duncan has on the ropes.

DUNCAN

We've got him going!

Duncan does a half-loop and half-spin, to bring him around to

face the bombers again. This time the g-force of the turn

pops an oil line inside Duncan's cockpit; hot, pressurized oil

begins to spray everywhere - all over Duncan, his controls,

and worst of all, over the inside of his cockpit glass.

He wipes at the oil with his hands and that just smears it

and makes it worse.

His wingman sees him veering away from the bombers...and sees

the German fighters moving up to meet him.

SQUAD LEADER

McCawley! Get to the clouds! Get into

the clouds!

DUNCAN, IN HIS PLANE, is flying blind.

DUNCAN

I can't see the clouds!

His problems are just beginning; the fluid is dripping down

onto his cockpit's corroded electrical wiring; the fluid

causes an arc...a spark...and suddenly a fire is spreading

through Duncan's plane.

He grabs his fire extinguisher and triggers a cloud that

snuffs the fire but fills the entire cockpit with choking

smoke; between that and the smeared fluid on his glass, he

can't see a thing.

And the Messerschmidts are swarming over him.

Duncan's wingman dives in, raking the German planes as he

passes.

Duncan tries to open his cockpit cover to clear the smoke, but

it's jammed; he pulls out his .45 pistol and BLAM! BLAM!

BLAM! He blows out the glass; the smoke clears enough for

him to take a breath and try to see. He fights the stick,

but the plane won't respond.

The Messerschmidts rake him again, bullets riddling his

engine.

SQUAD LEADER

Get out of there, McCawley! Get out of

there!

Duncan's plane descends, ever faster, passing through clouds,

then clear air again. The Squad Leader tries to chase and

cover him, but Duncan's dropping fast, and still isn't out of

the plane as the Germans dive on him again, firing.

Duncan's Spitfire hits the broken fog over the water - the

Squad Leader loses sight of it for a moment - and then the

plane hits, splashing and exploding all at once.

The Squad Leader winces, and ducks into the clouds as he

reports on his radio...

SQUAD LEADER

McCawley down. No 'chute.

EXT. BATTLESHIP WEST VIRGINIA - PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The sailors have assembled on deck for the ship's heavyweight

championship fight, a contest made more interesting to the

sailors because one of the combatants is white and the other

is black.

The battle is more toughness than technique. The guys

throwing haymakers and shoving each other around the roped

area, as their shipmates cheer and make wild bets. The white

guy digs a punch deep into the black guy's ribs, and the

black guy slams a double left hook into the white guy's

belly, making him back up and say -

WHITE BOXER

You hit hard - for a cook.

The black guy rushes the white guy, only to catch a right

cross that wobbles his knees and makes him stagger, with a

fresh cut over his right eye. The white guy now rushes in,

and the black guy (his name is DORIE MILLER) throws an upper

cut that drops his opponent like a sack of rocks.

The sailors cheer wildly. Dorie steps back, and rubs his

glove across his brow. It's really bleeding now.

EXT. MILITARY BASE - DAY

Gwen is returning from church with six of her nurse

friends. It's very quiet on a Sunday morning, almost nobody

at the base; they walk along the path.

BRIDGETTE

Let's get into civvies and find a bar.

HEATHER

Right after church?

BRIDGETTE

You've gotta sin some, to get

forgiveness. Come with us, GWEN. You

need some sin.

GWEN

I've got to write some requisitions.

We're undersupplied with morphine.

IZZY

Morphine? We've been here a month and

nobody's had worse than a sunburn.

GWEN smiles softly and walks toward the base hospital.

IZZY

I wish she could forget him.

BRIDGETTE

You don't forget love, Honey. Not ever.

EXT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Gwen approaches the hospital and finds the black boxer

peering in the window. He's in a T-shirt and navy pants.

GWEN

Can I help you, sailor?

As Dorie turns, she sees the cut on his head, closed only

with a band-aid; it's dripping blood down his T-shirt.

DORIE

'Scuse me, 'Mam. All the ship's doctors

is golfing, and I couldn't find nobody to

look at this.

GWEN

Our doctor's gone too.

DORIE

Sorry to trouble you.

GWEN

Wait, let me look at that... You better

come in here.

INT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - DAY

Miller is sitting on a stool; GWEN bathes the wound.

GWEN

How'd you get this?

DORIE

Boxin'.

GWEN

Win?

DORIE

Yes'm.

He says it without pride. She puts down the basin.

GWEN

What's your name?

DORIE

Dorie Miller, 'Mam.

GWEN

I'm Gwen. And I'm just a nurse. But

I'm not playing golf, and that cut needs

sewing, or else it's gonna make a big

lumpy scar. Whatta ya say?

INT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - LATER

Gwen clips the ends of her carefully applied stitches;

Dorie's eyes are rolled up as if he could watch from inside

his skull.

GWEN

How often you fight like this?

DORIE

Every other Sunday. I'm heavyweight

champion of the West Virginia.

GWEN

What do you get for winning?

DORIE

Respect.

She hands him a mirror. He studies her work.

DORIE

No doctor would'a give me that good.

She walks him to the door.

DORIE

Thank you, 'Mam.

GWEN

Tell me something, Dorie. A man as big

as you - and smart too, you knew where

to come when your ship couldn't help -

do you still have to fight with your

fists to get respect?

DORIE

I left my Mama and joined the Navy to be

a man. They made me a cook - and not

even that, really - I clean up after the

other sailors eat. I shine the officer's

shoes. In two years, they've never even

let me fire a gun.

Now Gwen understands.

GWEN

You take care, Dorie.

DORIE

You too, 'Mam.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - SUNSET

Dorie walks away, down the path between the palm trees. She

watches him go, and then is transfixed by someone else

coming, silhouetted by the light of the setting sun. She

can't make out his face, but he's wearing a pilot's dress

uniform, and coming to her right out of the warm orange

sunset that she has stared at so many times. Her heart slams

against her ribs; she takes a few steps forward.

EVELYN

...Duncan...

She moves toward him, and he draws near her, walking slowly.

And then she sees his face...

It's Trent. His face as sad as death itself.

And even before he tells her, she knows.

TRENT

Lieutenant... I'm Trent Walker. I'm Duncan

McCawley's best friend.

GWEN

Were. Isn't that what you mean? Were.

Because he's dead, isn't he? And that's

why you've come.

EXT. A BENCH - OVERLOOKING PEARL HARBOR - SUNSET

GWEN and TRENT sit on the bench, with a sweeping view of

the harbor and the lights winking on all around it as the sun

settles beyond the horizon. Evelyn is stoic, numb; TRENT is

the one who is struggling.

TRENT

Before Rafe left, he asked me to be the

one to tell you, if it happened.

GWEN

He told me about you. That he had no

other friend like you.

TRENT

Duncan's folks had a crop dusting business,

owned their own planes. Real straight,

frugal. My father was the town drunk.

Went to sleep one night on the railroad

tracks and was still there when the Dawn

Express came along. Duncan and I were the

only ones at the funeral. He took me

back to his house, and I never left.

GWEN

You were more like brothers.

TRENT

I taught him to drink beer. He taught me

how to fly.

GWEN

He said you're the only one he ever saw

who was better in the air than him.

TRENT

...He said that?

Gwen nods, still staring away from Trent. This pierces

Trent; he looks away, struggling not to let the emotions pull

him completely under.

Trent

Look, uh...Duncan's dad...he wrote me with

the news, and it took me a couple of days

to work up the guts to come here and tell

you. I'm not as brave as Duncan, or as

noble. But if there's anything I can

ever do to help - you let me know, okay?

She stares into the distance. He stands and puts his hand on

top of hers, as much for his comfort as for hers.

TRENT

I understand why Duncan loved you. You're

as strong as he was.

Since she's still not looking at him, he starts to move away.

When he reaches the turn in the path, he looks back, and sees

her figure in the gathering darkness. She's begun to break

down; and as he watches, her whole body starts convulsing,

and she doubles up in shattering grief.

Trent can't just stand there; he moves back to her, and puts

a hand on her shoulder. He sits beside her again, and

suddenly she turns to him and sobs upon him. Trent wraps her

gently in his arms, and then he breaks down, having found the

first place he can truly grieve.

EXT. JAPANESE BOMBING PRACTICE - JAPANESE ISLAND - DAY

The Japanese have constructed a replica of Pearl Harbor on

their practice island; erecting new target barriers and

silhouettes of the various ships anchored at Pearl. Streams

of Japanese planes skim overhead in practice bombing runs,

dropping dummy torpedoes and bombs. From a control platform

erected on the beach, Yamamoto and Genda oversee it all.

YAMAMOTO

Everything real except the fact that no

one is shooting back at us.

GENDA

If we achieve surprise, they will offer

little resistance.

YAMAMOTO

Set up teams of radio operators to send

out messages the Americans will

intercept, concerning every potential

American target in the Pacific. Include

Hawaii - the clutter will be more

confusing that way.

GENDA

Brilliant, Admiral.

YAMAMOTO

A brilliant man would find a way not to

fight a war.

He looks out at the planes roaring into his practice harbor

at top speed...

INT. PRESIDENTIAL BEDROOM - NIGHT

Roosevelt's valet leans over him.

Roosevelt wakes; beside the valet is a Presidential AIDE.

AIDE

Mr. President, we've received a message

from the Argentinian ambassador to Japan.

His sources tell him the Japanese are

assembling their fleet to attack us.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

We're picking up warnings for every

American base in the Pacific. Does this

ambassador know the target?

AIDE

Not for sure. But he thinks it's Pearl

Harbor.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Tell the Pentagon.

The Aide leaves quickly and Roosevelt starts to get out of

bed; his valet comes to help him.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

No, George, I need the practice, in case

there's a fire.

Roosevelt drags himself out of bed, crawling toward the

bathroom, his powerful arms dragging his lifeless legs.

INT. PENTAGON - DAY

ADMIRALS and other OFFICERS are gathered around a giant map

of the Pacific.

ADMIRAL

The attack seems inevitable. The

question is where? The way to answer

that question is to ask: if we were the

Japanese, how would we do it?

He nods to a VICE ADMIRAL, who stands over the map.

VICE ADMIRAL

Between America and the Far East are the

sea lanes where the winds and the

currents make the best route for

shipping. Far above is the northern

route, between Canada and Russia.

Between these two is something they call

the Vacant Sea. If I were the Japs, I'd

send a task force there. You could hide

the entire land mass of Asia in the

Vacant Sea, and nobody would know.

ADMIRAL

So they pop out and attack where?

VICE ADMIRAL

That's the problem, Admiral. They could

hit anywhere they want.

Nobody has any solution.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - DAY

A huge Japanese fleet steams toward Hawaii. It is an awesome

sight. Carriers, battleships, destroyers, and entire battle

group, traveling under complete radio silence, their hulls

power through the waves. On the lower decks of the carriers

are hundreds of planes - fighters and bombers.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The American ships are lined up at anchor, calm, placid.

EXT. BEACH - DAY

The sailors and soldiers bask in the sun, play volleyball.

The aircraft carrier Lexington steams past toward the harbor

entrance.

VOLLEYBALL PLAYER 1

Where's the Lexington going?

VOLLEYBALL PLAYER 2

Out on maneuvers, like the Enterprise.

EXT. GOLF COURSES - OAHU - DAY

Men in military haircuts - officers - stroll the golf

courses, enjoying themselves.

INT. DENTIST'S OFFICE - DAY

The DENTIST, an ethnic Japanese, is working on a patient with

his mouth agape. The DENTIST ASSISTANT intrudes.

DENTAL ASSISTANT

Dr. Takanawa, you have a call from Tokyo.

DENTIST

Please excuse me. Just relax.

Leaving his patient with a mouth full of instruments, the

Dentist moves to his outer office, which looks directly out

over Pearl Harbor. He speaks in Japanese.

DENTIST

Takanawa... Yes?...

He seems confused by the call, but he responds by looking out

over the harbor, then saying into the receiver -

DENTIST

Yes, they are all...no wait, I see the

big one moving. The one that's flat on

top, what do they call it?...

INT. SURVEILLANCE BASE - DAY

Some tired Army Intelligence types - A LISTENER, a TRACKER,

and an INTELLIGENCE SUPERVISOR, are sitting at a bank of

phones. The LISTENER is a Japanese-American.

LISTENER

Here's something, over the line from

Tokyo.

He switches on the recording equipment and looks to the

TRACER, sitting at a battery of equipment.

TRACER

It's connected to a local dentist. His

office is beside Pearl Harbor.

INTELLIGENCE SUPERVISOR

This dentist, is he a spy?

LISTENER

Sounds too innocent. His accent is from

the old country. Somebody official-

sounding calls, he thinks it's

discourteous not to respond.

INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY

Admiral Kimmel is settling into the barber chair when his

AIDE enters and nods for the barber to move a few paces away,

so that he can speak privately.

AIDE

Sir, we just had an intelligence

intercept. Someone from Tokyo called a

local dentist whose office looks over

Pearl. They wanted to know the exact

location of the ships.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

Someone from Tokyo asks a dentist how the

ships are sitting... What are we supposed

to do about that?

AIDE

I...don't know, Sir. But it just seemed

significant.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

Have intelligence keep monitoring him.

The Admiral sinks back into the chair.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - DAY

A young amateur PHOTOGRAPHER, about 16, wearing a hat with

"PICTURES OF PARADISE" printed on it's crown is ready to snap

a shot of Gwen and her nurse friends having a picnic lunch

on the lawn outside the hospital.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Closer, ladies! Closer! Now smile!...

Great! Next week I'll show you a print

and you can order your Pictures of

Paradise!

He hustles off. Izzy hands out picnic baskets.

IZZY

Bridgette, here's yours...and Gwen, here

you are.

Gwen opens her basket, and finds a lei of Hawaiian flowers

stuffed in the top. Izzy scoots over and puts the flowers

around Gwen's neck.

IZZY

It's been a month and you haven't smiled.

We just want you to know we love you.

Gwen's touched - but before she can react two P-40's zoom

out of the skies, wings clipping the tops of the palm trees

as they blast over head.

INT. COCKPIT'S OF THE P-40'S - DAY

Trent and Justin are the pilots; as they pull up and away,

they pass over some officers on the golf course, scaring the

shit out of them as they putt.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - DAY

The nurses have sprawled to the ground; now even Gwen is

smiling.

BRIDGETTE

What is it with nurses and pilots?

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - EVENING

Gwen walks out of the hospital. She's still wearing her

lei. The sun is going down in a spectacular sunset.

She stares at the orange glow at the edge of the world. She

breathes in the sea air, and tries to breathe out the

sadness. The water of the harbor laps close to where she

stands, the sunset polishing its surface.

She takes the lei from her neck, plucks a single flower, and

holds it like the rose Duncan once gave her. Then she tosses

the rest of the lei into the ocean and watches it float away,

as the sun sinks behind the horizon.

INT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Gwen finds her purse, and tucks the flower into it. She's

alone in the hospital, everyone else has gone; she turns her

mind toward work, something to lose herself in.

EXT. MILITARY BASE - NEAR THE PILOTS' BARRACKS - DAY

Trent is walking toward the barracks when a COLONEL hopping

mad, confronts him.

COLONEL

You're Walker, right?

TRENT

Yes Sir.

COLONEL

That was a nice little stunt you pulled,

buzzing the base.

TRENT

You liked that?

COLONEL

Oh yeah. I liked it so much I'm cutting

you out of the squadron.

TRENT

Sir?

COLONEL

I don't buy that hot dog shit. So you

and your buddies are gonna transfer your

planes up to Haleiwa.

TRENT

Hale-what?

COLONEL

You'll love it. No base, no bars, just

lots of sun and aircraft maintenance.

TRENT

Sir, I -

COLONEL

Too late for apologies, Walker.

TRENT

I wasn't gonna apologize, Sir. I was

just gonna say it was worth it to feel

like a real pilot again, even if it was

only for five seconds.

The Colonel glares at him and stalks away.

INT. BASE CANTEEN - NIGHT

TRENT and GWEN are having coffee at the base canteen.

TRENT

How's everything?

GWEN

We got some soldiers in traction from a

jeep accident, but it's quiet. Except

for the occasional fighter plane buzzing

us.

TRENT

That might not have been such a good

idea. They're making us fly out of a

half-paved airfield. The real punishment

is that I won't be back to the barracks

till it's too late for dinner or coffee.

So I guess it's goodbye for awhile.

GWEN

I was just thinking that war is a series

of goodbyes. Do you think that's why

we're meeting. To help us say goodbye to

Duncan?

TRENT

I swore not to talk about him tonight,

but there's all this stuff I think I

ought to tell you, that he didn't get a

chance to. Duncan was...he was lonely. He

had such high expectations of himself

that he always felt empty. The week he

met you he told me he felt his heart had

always lived in winter, and for the first

time in his life he has seen the spring.

He's been lost in his own thoughts of Duncan; now he notices

the tears welling up in her eyes.

TRENT

Sorry.

GWEN

He told me he didn't want to leave me

with regret. Now that's all I have.

TRENT

Hey, have you seen Pearl Harbor at night?

GWEN

Well...sure.

TRENT

From the air?

EXT. HALEIWA AIR FIELD - NIGHT

A P-40 takes off from the remote airfield, lit only by the

full moon.

INT. P-40 - NIGHT

Gwen sits on Trent's lap, like Duncan sat in his Daddy's lap

years before. Trent flies easily, the cockpit open, his arms

slipped under hers.

The sky above them is startlingly clear; a billion stars

dancing around a full moon.

GWEN

So beautiful!

TRENT

Hang on.

He spins the plane in an easy half turn, inverting their

heads above Pearl Harbor, gorgeous in the moonlight, the

battleships aglow, the moon reflected in the peaceful water,

embraced by the island of Oahu.

EXT. HALEIWA AIR FIELD - NIGHT

The P-40 soars easily in and settles to earth. Trent shuts

down the engine. Trent carefully removes the harness around

her. She looks overhead. The stars are still bright above

them.

GWEN

I didn't realize until tonight that I've

stopped wanting to live.

She turns in his lap, and looks at him. Their eyes connect.

Tentatively, almost reluctantly, they kiss.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

The POV of someone moving through the gathering darkness

approaches the hospital.

The lights from within the hospital, and the pristine white

beds beneath those lights, give the place a kind of glow,

where Gwen moves alone and beautiful, like a ballerina in a

giant's jewel box.

Now we see the shoulders of the figure, from behind, and can

tell that it is a man in uniform, but at first we can't tell

who. He's standing dead still, transfixed in watching Gwen

through the windows.

INT. BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Gwen moves to her desk, and sits down. She looks at the

calender turning back to October, where she wrote on the

square of October 22, "Order supplies" - she counts the

weeks from then to today, December 6.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

We see the full figure of the man watching her. And now we

see his face. It is Rafe.

His left hand is bandaged, but he is very much alive -

though seeing Gwen has taken his breath, and even seems to

have robbed him of the power to move. His eyes pick up every

detail of her - her face...her hands.

And as Duncan watches Gwen, he has the SUDDEN JOLTS OF

SUBLIMINAL FLASHBACKS...punctuated by fragments of the letter

she wrote to him, and INTERCUT with Duncan in the present,

watching Gwen.

GWEN'S VOICE

Dearest Rafe -

IN SUBLIMINAL FLASHBACK, DUNCAN'S SPITFIRE, crippled and

trailing smoke, passing through a patch of cloud as Duncan

hurls himself from the cockpit and jerks the ripcord of his

chute.

IN THE PRESENT...Duncan's face winces with the memory, and he

rivets his eyes on Gwen, as if to force himself to know

that this moment is real.

SUBLIMINAL FLASHBACK...DUNCAN LANDS IN THE WATER, and the shock

of its coldness travels up his body faster than his body

sinks into the water. He's cloaked in the fog; his

parachute, pushed by the wind, is pulling him along face

down. He fights with the straps, flips himself over, and

pulls the release...

But he's still in desperate trouble; in his flying clothes,

his heavy leather jacket soaking with sea-water, he's going

down; his body sinks beneath the surface...

GWEN'S VOICE

...Every sunset...

IN THE PRESENT, DUNCAN's chest trembles... Is it from the

memory of the frozen water, from the emotion of seeing Gwen

again - or both?

SUBLIMINAL FLASHBACKS - Below the surface of the North Sea,

Rafe's body drifts, but he fights his way back up...he kicks

off his shoes, sheds the jacket, strips off his pants and

starts tying the cuffs into knots.

Then, in a CUT, he is floating in the water, his pants turned

into a makeshift life preserver, his body shaking

convulsively from the cold.

Then in another CUT we see him after he's been in the water

for so long that his body no longer trembles; he's lost

consciousness. He has no strength, no will to live... His

face settles into the water...his body slips from his

preserver, and drifts beneath the surface...

GWEN'S VOICE

...gather it's heat into my heart, and

send it to you...

IN FLASHBACK, Duncan beneath the surface... His eyes come open.

From his POV beneath the water, he sees something above the

surface. It's only in his mind, but that makes it no less

real...an orange glow, the warmth of the sunset, and her face

above the surface... His limbs come to life, and he fights

his way up, breaking the surface. The whole sea around him

is dark and empty, but he grabs his makeshift preserver and

holds on for dear life...and for Gwen.

IN THE PRESENT Duncan stares through the window, at Gwen, but

he can't go in. He backs away from the window.

INT. PILOT'S BARRACKS - NIGHT

A Japanese-American MESSAGE BOY parks his motorbike outside

and enters the barracks.

MESSAGE BOY

Trent Walker?...

Trent rises from his bunk and accepts the telegram. As the

message boy leaves, Danny reads... The news he learns stuns

him...

EXT. BENCH - OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Duncan is still lost in thought. He hears steps running up -

and sees Trent - who spots him at the same moment.

TRENT

Duncan!

INT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Gwen puts away the calender.

EXT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Duncan is sitting at the bench, his head down.

ANGLE - Gwen on the path; she sees someone on the bench,

his form hauntingly familiar. He hears her, and looks up.

It's Rafe.

From Gwen's POV, the whole world spins. She faints.

Duncan jumps to catch her before she slams to the ground. He

gathers her into his arms, and she looks up into his face.

He's real, very real.

DUNCAN

Gwen.

She's trembling, shaking. He lifts her to her feet, and

moves her to the bench.

DUNCAN

I sent telegrams, I guess the military

traffic held them up.

GWEN

Why were you sitting here, instead of...

DUNCAN

I saw you, I couldn't go in, I...just

stood there wondering if you knew. You

looked...sad, and I had to sit down a

minute.

GWEN

How did you?...

DUNCAN

...Survive? I jumped in a patch of fog,

and nobody could see me. I hit the water

hard. And it was so...cold.

He looks toward the horizon, when the last light of day fades

to black. There's something he thinks about saying, and

doesn't. Then...

DUNCAN

I don't know how long I was in the water.

A Norwegian freighter picked me up. They

were headed to Spain. They docked in La

Rota, right beside a German ship, and

told me to stay hidden below. I was

afraid they'd turn me in, so I stole some

clothes, jumped ship, and found a church,

where the priest contacted the

resistance, and got me on a freighter to

New York.

He looks at her, then looks down again.

DUNCAN

I called my folks, then Colonel

McLean. The Colonel sent a man to

pick me up. They wanted to debrief me.

I told the Colonel I needed to see

somebody first, and he had a supply

flight heading out in an hour.

(beat)

I've done a lot of talking. You haven't

said anything.

GWEN

I'm just...so amazed, so glad to know

that you're okay. You are okay, aren't

you?

DUNCAN

Nothing that won't heal. I guess.

At these words, she looks at him for a long, long moment.

GWEN

It's been...so different, being so sure

you were dead.

DUNCAN

I'm so sorry for what you must've gone

through, but I'm back.

He sees the troubled look on her face.

DUNCAN

Maybe I've assumed too much. Has

something changed?

(beat)

I'm afraid to ask what. And I'm afraid

not to.

(beat)

Have you fallen in love?

She nods; she can't even say it. DUNCAN's dying inside.

DUNCAN

It's all right. Trent always said I see

things with my emotions instead of my

eyes.

GWEN

It's not your fault, Duncan. The letter I

wrote you, they -

DUNCAN

Don't worry about that. Guys away from

home, lonely, good-hearted women try to

cheer them up.

GWEN

It's not that I didn't mean everything I

wrote. It's just that - I thought you

were dead. And now -

TRENT runs up, through the darkness.

TRENT

You're alive!

Duncan and Trent stare at each other; Trent hesitates, looking

from Duncan to Gwen, wondering what they've said. Then Duncan

looks at Gwen, and picks up the look on her face. In that

moment he puts it all together.

DUNCAN

Aw, God. Oh my God.

TRENT's speechless, and for a moment Gwen is too.

Gwen

Rafe -

He puts up a hand, to silence her, and walks away suddenly.

Gwen and Trent are left frozen.

EXT. SHORE OF PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Duncan stares out at the harbor, seeing nothing. As he stands

there alone and shattered, he has one more

SUBLIMINAL FLASHBACK

Duncan is in the water of the North Sea; he seems dead, but his

makeshift preserver is keeping his face above the surface.

Something slides through the water and stops beside him; it's

a dinghy, and behind it is a trawler.

Hands grab Duncan and drag him onto the dinghy...

In a QUICK CUT, Duncan's body is laid out on the deck of the

trawler. The crewmen think he's dead. His body is stiff,

his lips white; and they say so, in Norwegian...

But one of the other crewmen notices a quiver in his eyelid,

then quickly covers Duncan with his on wool peacoat and presses

back an eyelid to see his pupils. Duncan's white lips move.

The crewmen realize he's trying to say something.

And Duncan does utter something, barely audible; something the

Norwegian crewmen don't understand.

DUNCAN

Gwen...

IN THE PRESENT Duncan struggles to bury that memory so far that

he'll never feel it again.

EXT. NURSES' QUARTERS - NIGHT

Trent escorts Gwen back to her quarters.

TRENT

Don't worry. I'll find him.

He hugs her; their embrace earnest yet tingled with guilt,

and Trent leave quickly. Izzy steps out of the nurses'

quarters and hands Gwen a telegram.

IZZY

This came while you were gone.

Gwen knows it's the telegram from Duncan, to tell her he's

alive. Without opening it, she begins to cry, and hurries

away from the barracks so the other nurses won't see.

EXT. HICKAM FIELD - NIGHT

Trent crosses the tarmac toward the clustered P-40's. He

spots what he's looking for. Sitting in the cockpit of one

of the P-40's is Duncan. Duncan won't look at him. Trent climbs

up on the wing, and sits down there.

TRENT

You'd always go sit in a plane whenever

you were upset.

DUNCAN

Upset? Why should I be upset?

TRENT

Let's go get a drink. Unless you're

scared to talk about it.

CLOSE - A Mai-Tai volcano clunks onto a table.

INT. FUNKY OAHU BAR - DAY

TRENT

Drink up. Then we'll talk.

Duncan takes the challenge, and takes a long pull on one of the

straws. Owen, Justin, Scott, and several others enter the

bar.

JUSTIN

Duncan?

They rush the table...

INT. FUNKY OAHU BAR - LATER

They're all drinking, and the whole bar is rocking. Duncan

uses glasses to show his buddies tactics.

DUNCAN

They'll go under you because their planes

are faster, then they run so you can't

catch 'em. But then they'll come around

and take you from behind - like some

Americans will.

The last words bring the group to silence. The other guys

drift away, to give them room.

DUNCAN

Sorry.

TRENT

Why be sorry? That's what you feel, it's

better to come out with it.

DUNCAN

I didn't mean it.

TRENT

Sure you did. So come on. Say what you

think.

DUNCAN

Waitress! Four beers!

TRENT

You don't wanna put beer over mai-tai.

DUNCAN

If you can't keep up, don't drink yours.

The waitress delivers four bottles to the table. Duncan takes

a slow sip, then stares at Trent.

DUNCAN

We gotta face some facts here.

TRENT

What facts are those?

DUNCAN

I understand how it could happen. I know

why any guy would love her. And I can't

blame you that it happened. You thought

I was dead, she was grieving, you were

trying to help her.

TRENT

I was grieving too.

DUNCAN

Yeah, right. Anyway, you didn't know.

TRENT

So what are you saying?

DUNCAN

I'm saying now you do know. So it's time

for you to fuck off.

TRENT

You left her. How's that for a fact?

DUNCAN

How's this for a fact? I loved her

first.

TRENT takes a long pull of beer, and DUNCAN does the same.

TRENT

You know, you're a lousy drinker.

Drinking's supposed to make men feel

bigger. It only makes you stupid. And

weak.

Duncan nods thoughtfully, and sets down his beer.

DUNCAN

How's this?

BAM! He knocks Trent out of the chair, flat on his ass.

Trent backhands the blood from the corner of his mouth.

TRENT

You want it, you got it.

He kicks Duncan in the back of the knee, then mule kicks him in

the chest as he goes down, and the fight is on.

The bar's bouncer, a big Samoan, moves over to break them up

- but Justin steps in his way.

JUSTIN

Let 'em fight, they need it.

The bouncer tosses JUSTIN aside, but before he can move in

to interrupt the fight, Owen breaks a lava volcano of Mai-Tai

over the bouncer's skull. The bartender picks up the phone

to call the M.P.'s.

Duncan and Trent are exchanging punches in the middle of the

room. Sailors sitting at the bar have swung around on their

stools to watch the action. The other pilots are wincing

with the punches their friends exchange, and bobbing and

weaving as if in the fight themselves. A SAILOR tapes Scott.

SAILOR

Is this a private fight or can anybody

jump in?

Scott hits him. The whole bar erupts.

Duncan and Trent are really having at it, fueled by so much

emotion that nothing hurts. They're on the floor now, trying

to rip each other apart. They struggle to their feet and

Duncan manages to knee Trent in the balls. Trent doubles over

in pain.

DUNCAN

That hurt? I didn't think you had any

balls.

Without looking up, TRENT lunges at DUNCAN, tackling him around

the waist, driving him at the wall.

But they don't hit the wall; they tumble through the back

window of the bar - not covered in glass, but fronds and

wood - and out into the back alley.

They're lying there in the debris when they see the M.P.

jeeps coming. They drag each other to their feet, and run

away.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NIGHT

The Japanese task force rumbles through the night, the bows

of the great ships blasting through the crashing waves.

INT. AIRCRAFT CARRIER AKAGI - NIGHT

Yamamoto's flagship. The clock reaches midnight, and a

sailor tears off it's calender. It's December 7, 1941.

YAMAMOTO

The submarines will be reaching the

harbor soon. I hope they don't set off

the alarm too soon.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NEAR PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

An American destroyer, the SELFRIDGE, leads a squadron of

destroyers on patrol, near the entrance of Pearl Harbor.

LOOKOUTS on the bridge think they spot something.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - DESTROYER SELFRIDGE - NIGHT

The WATCH OFFICER listens to a report on his headset and

turns to the CAPTAIN.

WATCH OFFICER

Captain, lookouts report a sighting, two

points off the starboard beam.

The sonar operator looks up and nods.

SELFRIDGE CAPTAIN

How big?

SONAR OPERATOR

...I've lost it.

SELFRIDGE CAPTAIN

Probably a blackfish. I've seen them

look like subs.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NEAR PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Another destroyer, the RALPH TALBOT, cruises behind the

Selfridge. On it's bridge, the DUTY OFFICER speaks to the

CAPTAIN.

DUTY OFFICER

Sir, Selfridge reports a contact, then

lost it. Now our sonar reports the

contact.

The Captain looks toward the Selfridge, then trains his

binoculars on the water were the Duty Officer points. He

sees something dark and black slipping along beneath the

surface. He gets onto his intercom.

CAPTAIN OF THE RALPH TALBOT

Radio room! Raise the Selfridge. Tell

the Squadron Commander we have spotted a

sub and request permission to depth

charge.

He looks again at the black shape, passing a few hundred

yards from them.

CAPTAIN OF THE RALPH TALBOT

We're five miles from Pearl Harbor and

it's moving in from the open sea.

Prepare to move to attack speed.

The INTERCOM comes alive.

INTERCOM

Sir, the Squadron Commander on Selfridge

denies permission.

CAPTAIN OF THE RALPH TALBOT

What?

INTERCOM

Denies, Sir. He says it's a blackfish.

The Captain chokes back his frustration and shuts down the

intercom - but then he says to the Duty Officer, as they

watch the shape disappear toward Pearl Harbor...

CAPTAIN OF THE RALPH TALBOT

If it's a blackfish, it has a motorboat

up it's ass!

EXT. OAHU - ROAD - NIGHT

Trent has pulled his Buick convertible off the road; Duncan is

bent over, his head out of frame; he's throwing up. Trent's

banged up from the fight and still drunk himself; he waits

beside Duncan, who chokes out between heaves -

DUNCAN

How come you're not pukin'?

TRENT

I guess I'm used to it. I've felt like

throwing up every minute since you got

back.

Duncan straightens up, but the waves of sickness come back over

him and he bends over again. Trent looks at his friend, and

the pain is written on Trent's face.

TRENT

Don't blame her, Duncan. It's not like

you're thinking.

DUNCAN

(between heaves)

Fuck you.

TRENT

She loves you. I know that. And part of

what she loves in me is how much of you

she sees in me.

Duncan doesn't seem to be listening; but Trent knows he is.

TRENT

We were both torn up. I started dropping

by to see her, because we understood what

each other felt. We'd have coffee and

try not to talk about you, but we always

would.

Duncan stands to face Trent; this is hard for Trent to say.

TRENT

She said I was so much like you. I said,

No, I'm not. I'm like I am because of

you, but I'm not you, not as good as you.

Everybody else saw me as a loser with a

big chip on his shoulder. But you saw

the better part of me, the part of me

that could be like you, and changed me.

You made me who I am.

DUNCAN

How sweet. Is that when you put the move

on her?

Trent slams his fist into Duncan's sick gut. Duncan doubles over

again, coughing, nothing left in his belly to come up.

Duncan stand slowly, nodding as if he knows the punch was what

he deserved. Trent's about to apologize when once more Duncan

knees him in the balls.

Trent folds up, drops to his knees, and starts to retch.

DUNCAN

That's better.

Duncan crawls into the back seat of the car and passes out,

Trent still collapsed at the side of the road.

EXT. PACIFIC - NIGHT

The Japanese task force storms on.

INT. JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS - NIGHT

IN THE PREP DECKS, the planes are being armed with bombs and

torpedoes.

IN THE PILOTS' QUARTERS, the pilots individually sit before

personal shrines, saying private prayers, writing letters.

EXT. JAPANESE CARRIERS - FLIGHT DECKS - NIGHT

The planes are brought up on the elevators; deck crewmen

start rolling them into position.

EXT. UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE PACIFIC - NIGHT

A Japanese submarine with a midget sub attached to its hull

runs silently toward Pearl Harbor.

EXT. OCEAN SURFACE - NIGHT

The periscope of the submarine breaks the surface.

INT. JAPANESE SUB - NIGHT

The sub commander looks through the periscope and sees the

lights of Oahu far in the distance.

SUB COMMANDER

Prepare to launch midget sub.

INT. BUNK AREA OF SUB, BETWEEN TORPEDOES - NIGHT

The sailor who will drive the midget sub completes his

ceremonial sponge bath, and places a handwritten letter on

his personal shrine.

SAILOR'S VOICE (LETTER)

My revered father, I go now to fulfill my

mission and my destiny.

INT. THE LAUNCH OF THE MIDGET SUB - NIGHT

We see the sub surface, and the sailor exit the main hatch of

the big sub, then force himself through the tiny hatch of the

midget sub.

SAILOR'S VOICE (LETTER)

I hope it is a destiny that will bring

honor to our family, and if it requires

my life I will sacrifice it gladly, if

you can think of me and my hope to be a

good servant of our nation, and a worthy

son. With love and devotion, Kazuyoshi.

EXT. FLIGHT DECK, JAPANESE CARRIER - NIGHT

A single scout plane launches into the air.

INT. SCOUT PLANE - NIGHT

The plane climbs to a high altitude, toward the dawn and

Pearl Harbor.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NIGHT

The Japanese carriers turn into the wind and raise combat

pennants. A color guard raises the Japanese flag as the deck

crew stand at attention, seeing the rising-sun flag snap

potently in the wind.

EXT. JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS - NIGHT

The first wave of Japanese planes begins to launch. It is a

stirring sight for the Japanese; the pilots waiting in their

cockpits, the officers watching from the bridge, the seamen

on the flight deck.

The first plane taxis along the flight deck and lifts into

the sky. The seamen cheer and wave their caps.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - NEAR PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

The American destroyer WARD cuts through the water, moving

back into port after a night patrol. It's CAPTAIN is on the

bridge, and its lookouts are still scanning the waters.

LOOKOUT

Captain, do you see that, in our wake?

The Captain raises his binoculars and looks out behind the

ship. He sees something small and black there.

CAPTAIN OF THE WARD

That's a conning tower.

OFFICER

Could it be one of ours?

CAPTAIN OF THE WARD

He's trying to follow us through the sub

nets, into the harbor. Sink the son of a

bitch.

EXT. DECK OF THE DESTROYER WARD - NIGHT

The deck gun barks, aimed toward the conning tower of the

Japanese sub in the distance. The first shot sails directly

over the tower, missing.

INT. THE SUB'S CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT

The Japanese sub commander sees, through his periscope, the

flame erupt on the Ward's deck; he's being fired upon. He

snaps orders -

JAPANESE SUB CAPTAIN

Dive! Dive!

EXT. THE DECK OF THE WARD - NIGHT

The gunners snap in another shell and fire again. It's a

direct hit, the sub is ripped apart, it rolls over.

INT. WARD'S BRIDGE - NIGHT

The Captain watches the sub sinking and snaps an order.

CAPTAIN OF THE WARD

Fleet command, from destroyer Ward. Have

fired upon and sunk enemy submarine

seeking to enter Pearl Harbor.

EXT. ESTABLISHING - RADAR STATION - PEARL HARBOR - DAWN

INT. RADAR STATION - PEARL HARBOR - DAWN

There are two guys left in the room, yawning over their new

radar equipment. The Officer, ELLIS, checks his watch; it's

a few minutes after seven a.m.

ELLIS

Time to shut her down. That was a good

first session. You'll get the hang of

this new radar soon.

PRIVATE

Thank you, Sir. Hey...what's this?

His screen shows a huge cloud of blips, heading toward them.

ELLIS

I've never seen anything like that

before.

He gets on the telephone.

INT. ARMY HEADQUARTERS - DAWN

The phone rings and an officer answers.

OFFICER

Watch command... Coming from which

direction?... Hold on.

He covers the phone and tells his commander -

OFFICER

Radar station has picked up a cloud of

blips, coming in from the northeast.

He switches on the radio, and tunes it to KGMB; hearing the

Hawaiian music reassures him something...

COMMANDER

KGMB is on early. That means we've got a

flight of B-17's coming in from the

mainland, they use the radio music for a

homing beacon.

INT. RADAR STATION - PEARL HARBOR - DAWN

Dismayed, Ellis listens to the response from the

headquarters.

ELLIS

All right, Sir.

(he hangs up)

They say don't worry about it.

He and the private look again at the cloud of blips -

growing ever larger, and moving in fast.

EXT. THE SKIES ABOVE THE PACIFIC - DAY

The Japanese formations are streaking through the sky.

INT. THE COCKPITS - DAY

The Japanese bombers, with three-man crews, are listening to

the Hawaiian music of the radio station, using it for their

homing beacon. They look out and see the sunrise - it's

beautiful, and resembles the Japanese flag.

EXT. SKIES ABOVE PEARL HARBOR - DAWN

The Japanese scout plane is high in the air. It radios -

SCOUT PLANE PILOT

Harbor quiet. Ships in place. Carriers

gone.

INT. BRIDGE OF YAMAMOTO'S CARRIER - DAY

Yamamoto is handed this message.

YAMAMOTO

We have achieved surprise, but their

carriers are not in port. I don't like

this.

GENDA

We have a fighter screen up, in case we

are attacked, Admiral.

YAMAMOTO

We must go ahead. This is our moment.

INT. ADMIRAL KIMMEL'S HOME - DAY

The Admiral, dressed in his golf clothes, is leaving his home

when a naval LIEUTENANT appears at his door.

LIEUTENANT

Admiral, one of our destroyers reports

sinking a sub on its way into Pearl.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

Relay that to Washington...and cancel my

golf game.

INT. ADMIRAL KIMMEL'S OFFICE - OAHU - DAY

Kimmel enters his office, and is handed the latest

dispatches.

ADMIRAL KIMMEL

Any response from Washington?

KIMMEL'S AIDE

Nothing, Sir.

EXT. WESTERN UNION OFFICE - PEARL HARBOR - DAY

A telegram, addressed to Admiral Kimmel, lands in the

regular, not urgent, dispatch box. The messenger handles it

promptly, hopping on his motorbike to deliver it.

EXT. SKIES ABOVE THE PACIFIC - DAY

The Japanese planes increase throttle and nose down, diving

toward the surface, hurtling into attack mode.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The harbor lies quiet. It's a sleepy Sunday morning.

Children are playing, officers are stepping from their houses

in their shorts to get the morning paper...

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE - OAHU - DAY

Hawaiian Boy Scouts are hiking on a side of one of the

mountains overlooking Pearl.

Suddenly booming over the mountain, barely ten feet above the

summit, comes a stream of planes.

The boys are awed. What is this?

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

QUICK INTERCUTS - Between the approach of the Japanese

planes, and sleepy Pearl Harbor...

- The planes, in formation, their propellers spinning, their

engines throbbing...

- Pearl Harbor, with the ships silent, their engines cold,

their anchors steady on the harbor bottom.

- The Japanese submarines heading in.

- The American destroyers docking, instead of going out to

search for them.

- Another formation of Japanese bombers climbing high, into

attack position.

- The Japanese torpedo planes dropping down to the level of

the ocean, their engines beginning to scream.

- The American planes bunched on the airfields.

- ON THE JAPANESE CARRIERS, Yamamoto and his staff huddle

tensely, over their battle maps.

ON THE JAPANESE CARRIER DECKS, the second wave of planes is

being brought up and loaded with munitions...the Japanese

flag snaps tautly in the wind...

ON THE GOLD COURSE NEAR PEARL HARBOR, American officers are

laughing on the putting green near the club house, where the

American flag droops from the flag pole, limply at peace.

- The Japanese planes roaring down just over the wave tops

of Pearl Harbor itself.

- Children playing in the early morning sun, looking up as

they see the planes flash by. The children look -

they've never seen this many, flying this low...but they

are not alarmed, only curious.

The images come faster and faster, the collision of Japan's

determination and American's innocence...

EXT. DECK OF OKLAHOMA - DAY

Two sailors are standing on the deck, sharing a smoke,

looking out over the quiet harbor. One of them sees the

first few planes streaking in.

SAILOR 1

Look at that.

SAILOR 2

It's the Army again, practicing on us.

Something drops from the lead plane and splashes easily into

the water; the plane banks away.

SAILOR 2

Practice torpedoes.

A white streak runs through the water at them.

SAILOR 2

Now listen, you'll hear a little thud

when it hits the side of the ship.

They watch it rush at them...then, a MASSIVE EXPLOSION! It

throws up a fifty foot wall of water, hurling the sailors and

everything else on the deck into the sea.

EXT. THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR - DAY

- The first wave of planes drop more torpedoes; they plunge

BENEATH THE SURFACE, their wooden fins working perfectly,

the torpedoes speeding to their targets...

We see their AWESOME BLASTS against the anchored ships as the

torpedoes hit home.

- The Japanese LOW ALTITUDE BOMBERS come in; some drop their

bombs directly into the ships; some skip their bombs

across the water, the bombs glancing off the surface and

then slamming the sides of battleships with tremendous

explosions.

- INSIDE THE SHIPS, sleeping sailors are thrown from their

bunks; those already awakened run for their battle

stations, and try to make it up to the deck; but there's

no escape there, as...

- Zero fighter planes strafe the ships, raking the decks and

killing sailors with MACHINE GUN FIRE.

EXT. ON THE AMERICAN SHIPS - DAY

Fire and smoke are turning everything into chaos. some

sailors rush to man the guns, they find the ammo boxes

locked.

Under the bombing and strafing, they find a wrench and start

pounding on the lock, trying to break open the ammo box.

Then they break open the lock - and find the ammo box empty.

SAILOR

Shit! I'll get some ammo!

He runs for the ladders, and is shot down before he gets

there.

EXT. SKIES OVER PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The dive bombers scream in.

EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Bombs are hitting the deck. Sailors are blown into the air

and out into the oily water. Nearby ships are catching fire;

the flames spread out onto the oily water itself.

INT. BELOW DECKS OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Dorie Miller, the boxing champion/kitchen helper, is working

picking up the breakfast trays when he feels the ship

shudder. The intercom comes alive -

INTERCOM

Battle stations! Battle stations! This

is not a drill!

Men run to the ladders, and the shaking of the ship from a

bomb blast tosses them off; Dorie's at the foot of the ladder

when men fall back on top of him.

EXT. BRIDGE OF WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

The Captain of the ship has reached the command bridge, where

most of his staff is lying wounded from a bomb blast.

CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA

Stay calm! Find your positions. Medics,

get the wounded to sick bay! Load and -

MORE TORPEDOES and BOMBS blast into the ship. A big chunk of

shrapnel tears into the Captain and rips his stomach open.

The medics he was just directing to other men now run to him,

as the men they were going to help have been blown apart.

EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Sailors run up from below and are gunned down and blasted

down before they can reach their weapons.

Dorie Miller emerges from below decks and sees the carnage,

the confusion. A bloody OFFICER grabs him.

BLOODY OFFICER

Boy! We need stretcher bearers on the

bridge!

Dorie runs into the fire and smoke, toward the bridge.

EXT. BRIDGE OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Dorie arrives to see the medics crouched over the

disemboweled Captain, who is still giving orders.

CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA

Radio for air cover. Organize the other

medics. Initiate fire control.

Dorie helps the medic lift the Captain to take him below.

INT. BELOW DECKS OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Dorie carries the Captain down the ladder by himself, using

one arm to climb and one to hold the Captain like a child's

teddy bear. When they reach the bottom the pain has grown

too much for the Captain; he know's he's dying.

CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA

Put me down here.

Dorie puts him down; the medic jumps down the ladder and

reaches the Captain, who tells him -

CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA

Find my executive officer and tell him

he's in command. Tell him to fire the

boilers and...

He trembles in death throes...

CAPTAIN OF THE WEST VIRGINIA

Make sure the gunners have enough

ammuni -

He's dead. The Medic runs toward the ladder, reaches the

hatch, and is blasted back to the bottom by an explosion

overhead.

Dorie runs for the ladder, and climbs out into hell.

EXT. DECK OF THE WEST VIRGINIA - DAY

Dorie emerges into even greater carnage and confusion. A

sailor, his body on fire, runs past and leaps into the oily

water - but it is in flames too.

Then Dorie sees it: an unmanned anti-aircraft gun. He runs

to it, through the strafing.

The gun already has a belt of ammo in it - apparently loaded

by the gunner who lies beside it with his chest shot open.

Dorie swings the business end of the gun toward the Zeros

coming in out of the smoke, and he begins to fire.

The Zeros keep coming and he keeps firing; nothing on earth

will knock him from that gun.

INT. NURSES' BARRACKS - DAY

Gwen is up, dressed; her roommates are just stirring.

EXT. NURSES' QUARTERS - OAHU - DAY

Gwen has stepped to the door when she hears a distant

rumble and looks across the harbor to see smoke rising, ships

taking hits.

GWEN

Oh my God... EVERYBODY TO THE HOSPITAL!

As she runs, Japanese planes are coming toward the base.

EXT. THE MESS HALL AT HICKAM FIELD - DAY

The men were sitting down to breakfast, but the machine gun

bullets tearing up the outer walls have them clogging the

doors, and it's so clogged they can't all get out.

A steel bomb crashes through the roof and slams through the

room, taking out tables and chairs before bouncing off the

wall and coming to a stop.

TWO SOLDIERS, trapped within the mess hall, see it stop

without detonating. They are bug-eyed, hearts stopped.

MESS HALL SOLDIER

Dud.

The bomb detonated, blowing everything to bloody dust.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Gwen reaches the hospital first and runs to the cabinet,

withdrawing supplies.

Bridgette and Beth appear at the far door, both terrified.

GWEN

Get everything out! Bandages, sutures -

oh God, the men in traction... Come with

me!

She races into the hallway, the other two following.

INT. HOSPITAL - TRACTION WARD - DAY

Four men from a jeep accident are lying in traction, their

casted limbs roped in the air. Gwen runs in, grabbing a

razor blade from the medical cabinet - and telling Bridgette

and Beth.

GWEN

Cut them down, and take cover! Hurry!

Bombs are falling outside, on the airfield this wing of the

hospital faces. Gwen slices the traction ropes of a man

with both legs broken; ignoring his groans, she rolls him out

of the bed and covers him with the mattress. The other

nurses follow her lead. The bombs are coming toward the

hospital ward; Gwen finishes with the fourth man and covers

him and herself with the mattress, just as a bomb craters

outside the window.

The nurses and patients look up after the explosions have

passed; there's a chunk of smoking shrapnel lying on the

springs of the bunk where the last man had been lying.

EXT. HICKAM FIELD - DAY

The Japanese low-altitude bombers, with Zero escorts, zoom in

over the field, blasting the clusters of American warplanes,

whole squadrons taken out with one bomb.

The mechanics and pilots, caught in the open, run from the

strafing. The Zeros rake them down with machine gun fire.

It's carnage.

EXT. PHOTOGRAPHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Sammy, the amateur photographer, is leaving his house for a

morning of working his "Pictures of Paradise" business, when

he sees the Japanese formations rumbling toward Pearl. He

races back inside.

INT. PHOTOGRAPHER'S HOUSE - DAY

He fishes into his drawer for a film camera, and digs out

cans of film, struggling to load it as he runs back out.

INT. HICKAM FIELD - BARRACKS - DAY

The pilots of Trent's squadron have returned from their night

of drinking and brawling and are crashed on their bunks. Owen

stirs and staggers toward the head; he bumps into the wall,

backs up like a wind-up toy and lurches blindly forward

again, into -

INT. BARRACKS - THE HEAD - DAY

Owen sleepwalks to the urinals and unleashes a marathon piss

stream, still in his sleep. A rumble penetrates his brain,

and his eyes come open a fraction. Through the window slits

above the urinals, he can see a cloud of Japanese planes

rushing past.

He squeezes his eyes shut, and looks again; the planes start

bombing the distant hangers.

Owen pisses along the wall as he races to the barracks, trying

to get his pecker back into his drawers. He shouts to the

sleeping guys -

OWEN

Th-th-th-th-th-

He slaps his face with both hands, and stomps his feet...

OWEN

Th-th-th-th-Dammit! Th-th-th-

He still can't get it out, can't wake them; bursting with

frustration, he suddenly blasts out singing -

OWEN

(singing)

The Jaaaps! The Jaaaps!

He's belting it like a baritone in a bizarre opera. His

friends stir; what the hell? Red points outside and tries to

talk, but now he can't mutter a syllable. The guys hear the

explosions, and realize...

EXT. HICKAM FIELD - BARRACKS - DAY

The pilots stagger out, half drunk, half dressed. Seeing

what's happening, they race toward the flight line, where the

clustered American planes are blowing up in groups, and the

pilots are knocked to the ground.

SCOTT

Goddamn Japs!

Scott jumps to his feet and starts to run toward a cluster of

fighters that hasn't gone up yet.

JUSTIN

Scott!

Justin tries to grab him and drag him back to earth but he

misses; Scott gets a few steps before the fire from a

strafing Zero catches up to him; his friends watch in horror

as Billy gets shorter as he runs; the Zero's machine gun fire

is sawing his legs off from the feet up.

Scott falls, legless but still alive; then a bomb falls

almost on top of him, sending body parts over the pilots.

Their innocence, like America's, is gone in that moment.

EXT. ROAD TO MAIN AIRFIELD - DAY

Trent and Duncan are in Trent's Buick, hung over and asleep,

Trent in front, Duncan in back, and they're a miserable sight

- their shirts ripped, blood dried in a leak trail from one

side of Duncan's nose and the corner of Trent's mouth.

The rumble of planes moving overhead makes them stir; the

rumble grows huge, as the shadows of a massive formation

makes the sunlight flicker. Trent and Duncan squint up, their

heads pounding, and realize what they're seeing. Suddenly

their headaches are gone, and Trent's gunning the Buick down

the road, toward the base.

EXT. AIR BASE - DAY

Trent blasts through the main gate; the guards are too busy

taking cover and haven't even closed the barrier.

He races to the tarmac, where some of the planes are still

undamaged. Duncan is out the door before the car stops

rolling, and Trent's right behind him.

They're running toward a cluster of fighters, when it goes up

with a bomb blast. Duncan and Trent dive at each other; their

first instinct is to cover their best friend with their own

bodies.

They look at each other on the ground. They see machine gun

bullets thudding into the planes on the flight line, and

ripping along the walls of the buildings. It's as if the

whole Japanese airforce is attacking this one base, and not

leaving a single plane airworthy.

DUNCAN

Get me into a plane!

TRENT

Come on!

Trent sprints; Duncan follows. Trent reaches a phone booth,

and digs a dime from his pants.

DUNCAN

You're making a phone call?

Trent dials, as waves of bullets sweep the area, and more

planes blow up on the flight line. Duncan thinks he's lost his

mind.

TRENT

(into phone)

This is Walker! We're under attack! Get

those planes fueled and armed RIGHT NOW!

He runs back toward the car; Duncan, in the nonsense of battle,

reaches in to hang up the receiver, before Trent grabs him

and leads him on a sprint to the car, as the phone booth

shatters behind them from the strafing.

On the way to the car they dive back to the ground to avoid

strafing - and see their friends lying nearby, in shock.

JUSTIN

They got Scott.

TRENT

Come with us!

He and Duncan jump up and run again. Justin, Owen, and several

other pilots reach the Buick and dive in. Trent drives away,

through the strafing.

DUNCAN

Where are we going?

TRENT

Auxiliary field at Haleiwa, ten miles

north of here.

DUNCAN

What's there?

TRENT

Six P-40's.

As the Zero pilots see the Buick moving, they go after it.

Trent drives like a madman through the strafing, zigzagging

and gunning the Buick's V-8.

EXT. THE OKLAHOMA - STILL AT ANCHOR - DAY

The number of attacking planes seems endless - and their

strategy flawless. Torpedoes hitting one ship lifts its hull

with a blast, enabling the next wave of torpedoes to rush

under and hit the next ship anchored behind. The American

battleships are bobbing like see-saws.

The OKLAHOMA takes an entire barrage of torpedoes, blowing

thirty foot holes along it's hull; the ship immediately

begins to list.

INT. THE OKLAHOMA - DAY

Doors are wedged shut by the deformation of the structure;

vertical ladders are becoming horizontal, and water is

pouring in. Men fight their way up against the water.

INT. INNER COMPARTMENT OF THE OKLAHOMA - DAY

Water is up to the trapped sailor's waists when they grab a

wrench and start taking turns pounding S.O.S. in Morse code

on the bulkhead.

EXT. DECK OF OKLAHOMA - DAY

As the listing grows more severe, sailors start jumping from

the deck into the water. Still the Marines on deck are

firing back at the planes; some Marines are even using

handguns. But courage does not save them...

THE OKLAHOMA ROLLS OVER

The men still on its deck try to run, but it's not just the

fires and the water they can't escape; the gun turrets' 1400

pound shells break loose with the capsizing of the ship and

tumble through everything like massive wrecking balls.

The sailors and marines, thrown into the water, struggle to

get away from the suction as the giant battleship turns

turtle.

BELOW THE WATER men are sucked down with amazing force, every

hair on their heads streaming behind them as they're snatched

to the depths.

INSIDE THE OKLAHOMA, everyone and everything is spilling

upside down. The ship's generators sputter out and the

lights go out. The flashlights of the few sailors who can

find them cut raggedly through the darkness, and water spills

in. There is no escape.

BELOW THE WATER, the Oklahoma's superstructure hits bottom;

some men are crushed there. For others it's salvation, as

the BACKWASH blows them toward the surface.

ON THE SURFACE the men are launched almost completely out of

the water, before splashing back into the water and burning

oil. A few feet of the steel hull and a portion of the

propeller protrude above the surface, but most of the

Oklahoma is under water.

Men in the water swim toward a medical launch carrying

wounded away from the wreckage. A bomb hits the launch and

blows body parts everywhere.

INT. OKLAHOMA - REAR COMPARTMENT

In one compartment there are a dozen trapped men. They've

survived the roll-over, and are in a chaotic world where the

floor is now the ceiling. The water is up their waists.

Some of the SAILORS are panicking.

One sailor has a flashlight and switches it on, flashing the

light from face to face.

SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT

Don't panic! Don't panic!

PANICKED SAILOR

The water's rising! It's coming up,

we're all gonna drown!

SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT

The air pressure will equalize it!

But the water keeps rising, along with their fears. Several

of the sailors are still screaming...

The water's already to their bellies. One of them grabs a

wrench and starts slamming Morse code against the bulkhead.

One sailor in the middle of the room is particularly

panicked, not just yelling but crying and whimpering -

TERRIFIED SAILOR

Get me out! Get me out!

SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT

Stop it! Come on! Save your air!

TERRIFIED SAILOR

MY FOOT'S CAUGHT!

He's at the lower end of the compartment, where the water is

deeper - the ship's nose is lower than her stern. The

water's up to the guy's neck.

The man with the flashlight dives down, and finds the guys

foot wedged together in the pipes of the ships ceiling - now

their floor.

He pops up again. The water's up to the trapped guy's mouth;

he's already gagging.

SAILOR WITH THE FLASHLIGHT

Is there a hacksaw in that locker?

They open it; tools spill out - among them is a hacksaw.

They hand it to him; the sailor dives down and cuts off the

guy's foot.

The trapped man is underwater, muffling his scream. He comes

free, and surfaces gasping. His severed foot floats to the

surface and then the horror really hits them. The sailor

with the flashlight pops up, in the blossoming of blood. He

and another sailor tie a tourniquet around the stump, to stop

the bleeding.

The drama of this has caused the other trapped men to stop

their signaling. Now they start banging, twice as loudly as

before.

EXT. HALEIWA - AUXILIARY AIRFIELD - DAY

Haleiwa is a tiny airfield, tucked among the green volcanic

hills; its barely paved, and it's only permanent building is

a quonset hut. A mechanic named EARL, is out with the

P-40's; and these are spread out, not bunched.

EARL AND THE P-40'S

The planes here have received loving care from Earl - which

means lots of cursing; as he's wrestling to load an ammo

belt, he yells.

EARL

Sum-bitch!

The Buick, bullet holes punched through the truck, slides to

a stop near the planes, and the pilots jump out.

TRENT

They ready, Earl?

EARL

They'll all fly, but - oh, shit...

What stops him is the cloud of Zeros and dive bombers,

shrieking in.

TRENT

Cover!

The guys scatter. There are sandbags around the hut, and

they run there, diving into it's shelter just before the

first strafing pass, when a Zero strafes one of the P-40's

and a dive bomber blasts another. Earl stands up in shock

and fury.

EARL

You absolute mother-fuckin' son of a

bitch! You shot one of my planes!

Trent pulls him down, as the Zeros roar overhead.

TRENT

This ain't a little feud, Earl, it's

World War Two!

DUNCAN

They're coming around for another pass.

You got extra weapons and ammo?

EARL

Cock-suckin' right I do! In the gun

lockers!

TRENT

You guys get those! Earl, Trent, come

with me!

Trent, Duncan and Earl run to the planes that got hit and strip

out the 20mm cannons and ammo.

INT. QUONSET HUT - DAY

The other pilots run in, throw open the gun locker, and start

grabbing weapons - aircraft machine guns, ammo belts, one

even grabs a rifle.

SANDBAGS BY THE SHED

The two groups run back and start to set up.

DUNCAN

Trent, over there! We're in a canyon,

they'll come straight down it, we'll get

'em in a crossfire.

Trent, Duncan and Earl run to a gully opposite the shed and set

up there, as the other pilots brace the machine guns against

the sandbags.

The Japanese planes attacks again. This time the lead plane

hits a wall of steel fired from the combined guns; the

bullets chew into the bomb it carries and the plane EXPLODES.

The airborne debris makes the following planes shear off.

Owen's standing, firing; he yells at the Zeros -

OWEN

D-don't like it when we fight back, do

ya!

Owen runs out with his machine gun and keeps firing even when

the planes have passed, trying to shoot them right up the

ass.

TRENT

Earl! You said the planes were ready

but - but what?

EARL

Of the four left, only one is full of

fuel.

DUNCAN

Will the others get into the air?

Earl shoots a look to Duncan, then turns to Trent.

EARL

Trent, I don't like this fuckin' guy.

TRENT

Justin, Owen, stay with the guns! Coma,

you cover the cannons! Joe, Theo, come

with us! Earl, you get on the radio!

We're gonna fight these fuckers.

Two of the pilots, Joe and Theo, run to Trent.

JOE

How do we do it?

TRENT

Your call, Duncan.

DUNCAN

Get rolling as fast as you can. Stay

low! We'll use the topography to

separate them and then we can take 'em

one on one.

They race toward the planes, and the Japanese attack again.

Seeing the pilots running for the P-40's, the Zeros aim for

them; Duncan and Trent race for the most distant of the planes;

Joe and Theo run for the closer planes, through the dusty

bullet hits.

Theo makes his plane and is just strapping himself in when

bullets stitch his fuselage, wounding him. He still forces

the plane forward. He taxis twenty feet and his cockpit gets

chopped up and the plane arches into a right turn and putters

to a stop, Theo dead at the controls.

Joe doesn't bother to strap in; he hits the throttle hard and

heads down the runway...

The Zeros are on him as he gets ten feet of air at 120 M.P.H.

The Zero's bullets eat his canopy and plane skin; the plane

breaks apart in mid air, spilling in gouts of flame as it

smashes down on the tarmac.

Duncan and Trent have reaches the more distant P-40's and are

revving their engines as they see Joe and Theo's fate. They

throw on their radio headsets.

Their way seems blocked: they've got no runway behind them,

the wreckage of four P-40's scattered ahead of them, and the

Zeros screaming over the low hills to attack them. Now Duncan

and Trent talk through the radio.

TRENT

It's tight.

DUNCAN

Tighter 'n a bulls ass in fly season.

Don't hit the barn.

They gun their engines and roll through the grass on either

side of the runway, dodging the burning planes; they lift

off, clearing the quonset hut by a couple of inches. They

blow right through the strafing fire, and into the sky.

Eight Zeros are all over them.

Earl is in the hut, on the radio and watching through

binoculars.

EARL

I see six...seven...eight of the

cocksuckers! Don't let 'em hurt my

planes.

Trent's swiveling in his seat, looking left, right, back.

TRENT

They're all over us!

DUNCAN

Bet they don't dust crops in Japan.

Trent understands immediately, following Duncan's tactic as he

breaks into a sharp turn and uses the hut, palm trees, and

low hills to shake the Japs. They fly like crop dusters,

skimming down a foot from the ground, then bobbing up,

banking left and right. The Zeros have divided into two

groups to chase them, their wings clipping tree tops as they

try to follow the Americans.

It feels like a 200 M.P.H. car chase, 20 feet off the ground,

Duncan and Trent skimming and bobbing over the terrain, but

there are too many Japanese.

DUNCAN

Trent! Let's play some chicken!

Trent banks in one direction, Duncan in another...

EXT. OVER THE LANDING STRIP - DAY

The two P-40's are screaming, rushing at each other like they

did at the training base back in the states, flying right

into each other's propellers; the Japanese heading after them

realize they're rushing headlong at the other group...

EARL

Oh shit, oh shit...

He can't even watch.

At the last instant Duncan and Trent snap a quarter spin so the

planes flash by belly to belly.

Two of the Zeros collide in mid-air, exploding, as the other

Zeros scatter.

EXT. SKIES ABOVE PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Trent and Duncan rejoin each other in the open sky; they've

lost the Zeros. The P-40's are flying smoothly, side by

side. The two pilots look across at each other, going into

battle together. They speak through their radios.

DUNCAN

You hear my okay?

TRENT

Yeah. So you can call me if you need

help.

DUNCAN

I got a half a tank. You?

TRENT

Little less.

He fires a short burst to see if his guns work; they do.

Duncan does the same. Up ahead they see a formation of

Japanese planes, headed toward Pearl.

DUNCAN

They're in strafing formation, we'll blow

right through their line.

They look across at each other.

DUNCAN

Land of the free.

TRENT

Home of the brave.

Side by side the P-40's scream in.

EXT. ABOVE OAHU - THE DOGFIGHT - DAY

The Japanese planes are in tight, disciplined formation,

their minds on the targets below them in the harbor. But

their day of shooting sitting ducks changes as the two P-40's

blast in, wing guns blazing, chopping into Two Zeros. Both

Zeros falter and begin to lose altitude. The P-40's make

almost impossible tight turns, still side-by-side, and go

after the two plane they crippled on the first pass.

Duncan finishes one Zero, making it explode in a ball of flame

in the air. Trent finishes the other, shooting off its wing

so that it spirals into the sea and crashes there.

The P-40's swoop up again.

DUNCAN

They're trying to hold formation. We can

chew 'em up!

The P-40's dig in again, swooping down on the line of Zeros.

Duncan hits first, machine gunning one plane, and Trent comes

in behind it, finishing it off.

The Japanese pilots are screaming at each other over their

radios, but their SQUADRON COMMANDER sees Pearl Harbor ahead,

and tells them -

JAPANESE SQUADRON COMMANDER

Hold the line!

The P-40's come through again, their guns spitting fire.

EXT. ANOTHER JAPANESE FORMATION OF BOMBERS - DAY

These planes are different - high altitude bombers with

three-man crews, high above the harbor. The bombardier looks

through his sight and the bomb bays open.

THROUGH THE BOMBARDIER'S SIGHT, the ships look like tops, far

below. The bombardier is ticking off the targets as they

pass, the first two he mentions already burning.

JAPANESE BOMBARDIER

West Virginia... Oklahoma... Ah, Arizona.

He flips his bomb switch, and a HUGE STEEL BOMB falls away.

EXT. THE FLIGHT OF THE BOMB - DAY

We stay with the bomb as it falls through the sky. The small

propeller on the bomb's nose spins in the air, running the

arming mechanism into the bomb's explosive core. The bomb

wobbles a bit at first, but then as it gathers speed its fins

stabilize it, and it falls faster and faster, at a dizzying

rate, toward the Arizona.

It slams through the teak wood deck, and breaks it like

matchsticks.

It's tremendous weight and speed carry it through the next

deck, and the next, deep into the heart of the ship...toward

the powder room, where two million pounds of black powder are

waiting.

The bomb hits there, and the explosion is almost beyond

comprehension. Over 1400 men die instantly.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The battleship Arizona leaps into the air, the ship's spine

is broken, it's guts ripped open in one explosive instant.

Men on the deck are thrown into the burning oil already

floating on the water from the other ruptured ships, but

there are almost no survivors.

The concussion of the explosion blows men off the repair ship

Vestal, next to the Arizona, saving Vestal, as the explosion

snuffs out the fires on Vestal; it also sends tons of debris

down on her decks - parts of the ship, legs, arms and heads

of men, all sorts of bodies.

Debris from the Arizona also cover the Tennessee and does

more damage than the two Japanese bombs that hit her.

INT. HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - DAY

Medics have already started bringing in the wounded. Gwen

is like a frantic traffic cop.

GWEN

Put criticals in ward one, stables in

two! Bridgette! Fill every syringe you

can find with stimulant and antibiotic -

MEDIC

Where are the doctors?

GWEN

On the third tee.

BETH

Gwen! Where's the morphine?

THE FRONT WARD

Gwen runs in, snaps open the cabinet, grabs a bag of

morphine sticks, and is about to run out again when she sees

the Arizona go up.

For a moment she's frozen, then she actually sees the shock

wave traveling across the bay and through the trees like an

invisible wall. She's trying to cross her arms over her

face, and dive to the floor, just as the windows blow out

from the concussion, and glass flies over everything.

INT. JAPANESE BOMBER - DAY

They see the results of their bomb, and are ecstatic.

EXT. AIR ABOVE OAHU - DAY

The nose of Trent's plane is pointed right at the harbor and

he sees the sudden devastation of the Arizona. It is a sight

so awesome it freezes him for a moment.

A Zero comes up behind him, firing. Trent jerks his stick to

maneuver but he's caught...

Duncan comes in behind the Zero, chopping it up, even as he

yells at Trent over the radio -

DUNCAN

Ain't no time for spectatin'!

They turn back after the line of Zeros. There are some

Japanese planes coming after them now, but the P-40's head at

their noses, firing, then duck past in a double maneuver, and

turn right back into the Japanese formation.

Duncan has a plane in his sights, but his guns fire only a

short burst before stopping.

DUNCAN

I'm out of ammo!

TRENT

I'm out of fuel!

They head back. A single Zero is on their way. Duncan charges

it and draws its fire; Trent comes in behind the Zero and

rakes its cockpit; the Japanese pilot backs off.

The P-40's dive back toward Haleiwa.

A handful of Zeros returning from Pearl see them and follow.

EXT. PACIFIC - JAPANESE CARRIERS - DAY

The second wave of planes takes off from the carriers.

INT. FLIGHT CONTROL CENTER - CARRIER AKAGI - DAY

Genda reports to Yamamoto.

GENDA

Second attack wave is in the air.

INT. RADIO STATION KGBM - DAY

The DISC JOCKEY, handed a message by the army officer, stops

playing the soothing Hawaiian music and announces...

DISC JOCKEY

All Army, Navy, and Marine personnel to

report to duty.

INT. GENERAL SHORT'S OFFICE - DAY

General SHORT is in his office; he and his aides are working

frantically.

GENERAL SHORT

Mobilize everything! We're at war! Send

a message to Washington: Hostilities

with Japan commenced with an air raid on

Pearl Harbor.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - OVAL ROOM - DAY

President Roosevelt is having lunch in the Oval Room study

with Harry Hopkins. The phone RINGS and Hopkins answers.

HOPKINS

Oval Room... Yes, he is.

(to Roosevelt)

It's Knox, Mr. President.

ROOSEVELT

(taking phone)

Yes?

He listens, then puts the receiver down, shaken.

ROOSEVELT

The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor.

HOPKINS

My God. Do we have damage estimates?

ROOSEVELT

Our Pacific Fleet, at anchor, unprepared?

It's terrible. It has to be. And it's

not over.

EXT. HALEIWA - AUXILIARY AIRFIELD - DAY

The two P-40's drop out of the sky and bounce to a landing;

Anthony and Red have been pushing the wreckage off the field

with the Buick. Trent and Duncan pull the P-40's behind the

burning quonset hut, and it's like a pit stop at a race

track; Earl rushes up and starts fueling the planes, their

engines still running.

TRENT

We need ammo too!

Earl shouts instructions to the pilots.

EARL

Strip it from the wrecks!

The other pilots race to the wrecked P-40's and start pulling

out ammo belts. Earl glares at the smoking engine of Trent's

plane, and the bullet holes.

EARL

Who the fuck taught you to fly?

TRENT

He did.

Earl looks at Duncan's plane, more shot-up and abused than

Trent's. Duncan grins and waves to him. Earl mumbles a stream

of guttural and unintelligible obscenities.

The Zeros that followed them sweep down, strafing. One

mechanic, running across the field with a belt of ammo, goes

down. Coma, running behind him, picks up the fallen man's

ammo and his own, bringing both to the planes behind the hut.

He, Owen, and Justin reload the machine guns in Duncan and

Trent's planes.

Duncan and Trent gun their engines and head back into the air,

the grounded pilots firing a covering barrage and Earl even

coming up with a 12-gauge shotgun to fire at the Zeros as

they rush past.

EXT. SKIES OVER PACIFIC - DAY

The Second Wave of Japanese planes is in tight formation.

INT. LEAD PLANE OF SECOND WAVE - DAY

Lt. Commander SHIMAZAKI, leader of the second attack wave,

says calmly into his radio...

SHIMAZAKI

Second wave, deploy over the military

bases. High level bombers to the air

stations, dive bombers attack ships in

harbor. Fighters strafe and cover.

He leads the second wave in on their attack run...

EXT. NAVAL AIR STATION - DAY

The navy's planes, bunched up on the naval airfield, are

destroyed without ever getting into the air.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The harbor is already a mass of destruction and panic;

screaming everywhere, men trying to fight fires, move the

wounded; the second wave of planes hits, and tremendous

explosions now rock the secondary ships like the destroyer

SHAW, blasting it apart.

But the Japanese pilots are now having trouble with the thick

black smoke coming out of the damaged ships, and off the oil

fires along the water. One torpedo plane, its pilot flying

blind, clips the superstructure of a battleship and spins to

a crash.

Still, even IN THE CHAOS ON THE SHIPS, the sailors struggle

to survive, inventively. Men trapped on one burning ship use

the severed barrel of a five-inch naval gun as a bridge to

cross to the less damaged ship anchored beside them.

Others jump into the water and swim through the burning oil,

towing buddies too wounded to swim themselves.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Below decks, sailors have organized a line and are passing

ammunition from the ammo lockers, hand to hand up to the guns

on deck. Blasts from bombs hit them and ignite the ammo

they're holding, setting off a chain reaction of explosions.

On the deck, the sailors are out of ammo. An OFFICER grabs a

SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SAILOR.

OFFICER

Grab a dinghy and get ammo from the base

ammo storeroom.

The young sailor jumps to a dinghy and launches it through

the oily waters and thick black smoke.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The sailors in the boat get strafed, the rounds cutting

between them and blasting their boat in two. They jump into

the oily water and swim toward shore.

Other sailors are in the water with them, struggling,

swallowing the vile black liquid as they battle to swim.

Errant bombs and shrapnel hit beside them, killing some;

other lose strength and slide beneath the surface.

The sailors from the ammo boat make it ashore; it's hot there

too, with bullets and bombs all around. One sailor has to

stop and puke from the oil; his buddy grabs him and they run

for cover; they find it in the dugout of the baseball

diamond.

EXT. NAVAL STATION - DAY

A MARINE GUNNERY SERGEANT leads men in a race through

strafing fire to the bases ammo storeroom.

INT. AMMO STOREROOM - DAY

The SUPPLY SERGEANT is at his post.

GUNNERY SERGEANT

We need weapons and ammo!

SUPPLY SERGEANT

You need authorization.

GUNNERY SERGEANT

The fuck I do!

He pushes the man out of the way and starts grabbing weapons.

EXT. NAVAL STATION - DAY

The gunnery sergeant and his marines run with a water-cooled

machine gun, across the open ground, under fire.

BARRACKS

The Marines set up in the windows of their already-strafed

barracks, and start firing there, as the Zeros scream past.

EXT. NAVAL STATION - DAY

Trucks are moving dependents - women and children - from

the dependents' housing area. The Japanese strafe the

trucks, dependents diving for cover.

NAVAL STATION

A fire engine from the Honolulu Fire Department races up to

the sight of buildings burning from the air attack. As the

firemen jump out, a Zero strafes them, gunning down the

firemen.

As the strafing Zero starts to bank away, two P-40's come in

behind it, both of them gunning away. The Zero comes apart

under the barrage, and crashes in a ball of flame.

It's Duncan and Trent, back in the air.

INT. MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL - DAY

The once-pristine hospital with its glowing white beds is now

a bloody chaos. Every bed is already full; there are burned

and broken people on the floor - soldiers, sailors,

civilians, firemen, all mixed in together. People are dying

everywhere, and screaming in pain, or moaning and begging for

help. At first we don't see Gwen, and wonder if she

survived the glass; then we see her, flecks of her own blood

dotting her face and arms. The blood of soldiers on her

surgical apron. A steel calm has replaced her earlier

frenzy, even as the other nurses are breaking down.

BETH

I can't tell who's gotten morphine and

who hasn't!

GWEN

Take a grease pencil and mark an M on the

forehead of everyone you stick.

A young doctor is trying to give an intravenous injection to

a man who's badly charred; the doctors hands are shaking.

GWEN

Don't look for a vein, just poke.

BETH

My pen's dry!

GWEN

Use lipstick. Use ammo belts for

tourniquets, use your own nylons if you

have to! Bridgette! Grab anything that

will hold a pint of blood and sterilize

it.

The doctors are amputating limbs right there in the hallway.

A SENIOR DOCTOR calls -

SENIOR DOCTOR

Gwen! You have to do the triage!

They're bringing them in with trucks!

Gwen moves to the door. Trucks are pulling up, loaded with

the wounded, young terrified soldiers bringing them inside;

Gwen does quick triage as they pass.

GWEN

Critical - front ward!... Give him

morphine, he can't wait...

The next body through is a pilot, wings on his uniform, his

chest riddled with bullets - and his face shot off. For a

moment Gwen falters, then she forces herself to check the

dog tags...

It isn't Duncan or Trent. Gwen sags in guilty relief.

GWEN

Take him outside and cover him; he's

dead.

She steadies herself as the next body comes through, a woman

on a stretcher, her stomach shot open, pale hands clutching

at the open wound. Gwen feels for a pulse.

GWEN

She's gone too, take her -

It's Izzy.

And though the bombs are blasting and guns booming

everywhere, the world goes silent for Gwen.

One of the sailors outside the door is pointing to the

harbor, the Nevada has begun to move.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The battleship NEVADA is underway, plowing through the

harbor, as the water erupts with bombs.

INT. THE NEVADA'S BRIDGE - DAY

The Captain is struggling to save his ship.

CAPTAIN OF THE NEVADA

We can save her if we make the open sea!

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - POV THE ATTACKING PLANES - DAY

The lead pilot in the next squad of Japanese planes spots the

moving battleship, and leads his squadron on it.

They come whipping in over the waves, dropping torpedoes and

bombs.

INT. THE NEVADA'S BRIDGE - DAY

The Nevada's Captain feels the ship shudder as it takes hits

amidships.

CAPTAIN OF THE NEVADA

We're not gonna make it - and if we go

down here we block the channel... Beach

her, there!

His officers relay the order to the helm, and the ship's

rudder turns as more blasts rip her hull.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

The Nevada swings off its course and runs aground.

INT. THE NEVADA'S DYNAMO ROOM - DAY

The impact jolts the boilers, already bursting with the steam

pressure; gouts of steam from rupturing pipes scalds and

blinds the engine room crew.

EXT. THE NEVADA - DAY

The Nevada, run aground at the shoreline, is now like a beast

cut from the herd; the predators swarm after it with

torpedoes and bombs.

One torpedo, missing the Nevada, skims right up the beach

itself and blasts a house on the shore to fragments.

Bombs detonate along the Nevada, engulfing the entire upper

deck in flames, ravaging the sailors.

EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY

The Nevada is grounded near the hospital; from the doorway

Gwen can see the whole ship on fire, burning sailors

leaping off the decks. Her hearing, her presence of mind,

returns; she lets Betty go, and grabs an ORDERLY.

GWEN

Go to the base hardware store and get

some of those canister spray things they

use for killing bugs.

ORDERLY

Insecticide?...

GWEN

No, just the sprayers. We'll fill them

with tannic acid, it'll sterilize them

and cool the burns! GO!

The orderly races away. They can still hear the bombs

falling outside.

A sailor staggers toward the hospital from the Nevada. He is

completely gray. Everyone stares at him, and then realizes

he is nude, burned gray, his skin ash.

Gwen rushes to help him, shouting back over her shoulder to

the other nurses -

GWEN

We're gonna need every bed. If they can

breathe, make 'em get up and move

someplace else!

EXT. JAPANESE CARRIER - FLIGHT DECK - DAY

The first wave of planes lands on the carrier. The flight

leader rushes to the bridge.

INT. JAPANESE CARRIER - BRIDGE - DAY

Yamamoto's advisors are exultant.

GENDA

We have achieved complete surprise! The

first wave is returning, the second is

attacking now, and we have lost only a

few planes. We can launch a third wave,

Admiral.

YAMAMOTO

The second wave has not returned. And we

have no idea where their carriers are.

What is the damage report?

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

We have Commander Fuchida on the radio

now, Admiral.

Yamamoto nods and Fuchida's voice comes over the intercom.

FUCHIDA'S VOICE

I am over the harbor now...

EXT. SKIES ABOVE PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Fuchida is in a scout plane, high over Pearl. His vision is

hampered by the thick black smoke, but he can tell there has

been awesome devastation. He uses a diagram of the ships at

anchor to note the damage to each ship.

FUCHIDA

(into radio)

We have a tremendous victory. Many ships

damaged, some totally destroyed. But the

Second Wave's attack is being hindered by

the smoke.

INT. WAR ROOM OF THE AKAGI - DAY

YAMAMOTO

The more we attack, the harder it is to

find targets. And we no longer have

surprise.

GENDA

If we launch the third wave and

annihilate their fuel depots, we destroy

their ability to operate in the Pacific

for at least a year!

YAMAMOTO

And if we fail, and lose our carriers, we

destroy our ability to fight them at all.

(beat)

As soon as the second wave returns, we

will withdraw.

EXT. JAPANESE CARRIER AKAGI - DAY

The last planes touch down, and the lead carrier and the

other ships in the Japanese assault fleet turn back toward

home.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - AFTERMATH - DAY

The harbor is a place of shattered bodies and shattered

ships. Blood, body parts, debris everywhere, and all of it

made more hellish by the oil fires on the water and the

choking black smoke those fires produce.

Every survivor has become an emergency fireman, stretcher

bearer, medic, iron worker. They fish men from the water,

extract them from the tangled wreckage of the ships.

Everyone is screaming and yelling - the wounded for help,

the helpers for more help.

Local firemen and civilians battle heroically too; the water

mains are ruptured, so they put pump water from the base

swimming pool toward the burning ships.

The PHOTOGRAPHER records this with his black-and-white film

camera. He is shaken, and yet he understands the magnitude

of what he is recording - the loss of America's innocence.

EXT. ARMY BASE - AFTERMATH - DAY

In one place, outside a barracks, soldiers hit by the bombs

are just becoming conscious. One of them comes to.

CONSCIOUS SOLDIER

Sarge? Where are you, Sarge?

He's crawling around toward the bushes; his legs are

shattered, but he's spotted a body. He reaches it, turns it

over - and it's headless.

He turns away in horror...and finds himself staring at the

severed head.

The medics appear.

MEDIC

We've got two more over here!

EXT. GENERAL SHORT'S OFFICE - DAY

The Western Union messenger, Tadao Fuchikami, delivers the

telegram from Washington.

INT. GENERAL SHORT'S OFFICE - DAY

Short and his staff are assessing damage.

SHORT

I want lookouts and sentries everywhere,

with orders to shoot first and ask

questions later.

COLONEL

You think an invasion possible, General?

SHORT

After this morning, we better not

consider anything impossible.

An aide hands Short the telegram. He reads it -

SHORT

From Washington. "Intelligence reports

an ultimatum from Japan to be given

precisely at one p.m. Washington time.

Just what significance the hour set may

have we do not know, but be on alert

accordingly."

The irony is bitter in his throat.

EXT. JAPANESE EMBASSY - OAHU - DAY

The Honolulu police roar up to the embassy in squad cars, and

burst through the doors.

INT. JAPANESE EMBASSY - OAHU - DAY

The police storm through the embassy and find the Japanese

there burning documents.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - AFTERMATH - DAY

Divers are going down, trying to save the trapped men. But

the tangle of the Arizona is horrific. One diver gets

trapped, and another tries to extricate him, and the steel

shifts and falls on them both.

ON THE DECK OF BOMB-SHATTERED BATTLESHIP, a naval CAPTAIN

oversees rescue efforts. The 17-year-old sailor he sent off

for ammo now approaches him, with great concern.

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD SAILOR

Sir, I...I lost the dinghy.

The captain looks out over the wreckage, great battleships

devastated in every direction.

CAPTAIN

Well, son, we won't worry about the

dinghy today.

EXT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Trent and Duncan arrive at the hospital. Their fears of what

they might find aren't helped when they see the stairs into

the hospital covered in blood.

INT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Duncan and Trent enter. It's a scene from hell. Doctors are

doing amputations in the hallway. The once-pristine hospital

is now all red, with blood dripping through the mattresses,

onto the floor...

In the main ward, Gwen and the other nurses are using the

fly sprayers to spritz cooling antiseptic on the charred

bodies. Gwen looks up and sees both Duncan and Trent. Her

eyes register relief, but they are the only part of her that

can show emotion now; the rest of her is covered in blood.

Duncan and Trent move to her.

DUNCAN

How can we help?

INT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Duncan and Trent sit quietly as Gwen adjusts the tubes

conducting blood from their arms into sterilized Coke bottles

for transfusion.

DUNCAN

What else can we do?

GWEN

There's nothing you can do here, they'll

die or they won't, we just -

She stops, afraid if she says more, she'll lose grip on her

emotions. She can see the wreckage out in the harbor.

GWEN

There was a sailor, a black man on the

West Virginia, named Dorie Miller. I'd

like to know if he's alive.

She goes back to her work.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Duncan and Trent hop from the ambulance in which they've

hitched a ride to the harbor. They see the awful

devastation.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

Duncan and Trent reach the West Virginia's pier, but in the

darkness, they can't find anything. They stop a NAVAL

OFFICER.

TRENT

Where is the West Virginia?

OFFICER

There.

He points; the battleship has sunk, its superstructure barely

showing above the water.

It looks hopeless to find a single sailor here; but then they

see a powerful black sailor, pulling to the dock with a

dinghy full of dead men retrieved from the water. As workers

unload the bodies, the black sailor sits down, exhausted

physically and emotionally, his head in his hands. Duncan and

Trent approach him.

TRENT

We're looking for Dorie Miller.

DORIE

That's me, Sir.

DUNCAN

A friend of ours wanted to be sure you're

alive. Gwen. A nurse.

DORIE

How is she?

TRENT

Like we all are.

Miller nods, and looks out over the harbor, a hellish place

where black smoke still hangs over everything, the shattered

remains of men and ships still in the harbor. It's total

devastation. And yet something about that scene stirs

something else in Dorie Miller.

DORIE

There's something out there I need to

get. Will you help me?

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - AFTERMATH - NIGHT

Dorie pilots the dinghy through the floating debris. Duncan

and Trent sit with him. He stops over a dangerous pile of

superstructure wreckage.

DORIE

The Arizona. Hold the dinghy steady, so

it doesn't bust open.

Duncan and Trent brace the dinghy so it doesn't move; but they

still don't see what Dorie is after as he fishes down in the

water, for something barely at the surface; he works for a

moment, then pulls it up.

It's the oil-soaked flag of the Arizona.

EXT. HULL OF OKLAHOMA - NIGHT

Men are working through the night to save the sailors trapped

in the hull.

INT. OKLAHOMA - THE TRAPPED SAILORS

are in total darkness. From it we hear GASPING, then -

SAILOR

What's that?

The light comes on and sweeps around the faces. The water is

up to their chests, but it's stopped rising.

SAILOR FLASHLIGHT

Just hand on. They'll find us.

SAILOR

How do you know?

SAILOR FLASHLIGHT

Because we would find them.

He switches the light off again.

EXT. HULL OF OKLAHOMA - NIGHT

The welders are cutting away, the torches sending showers of

sparks everywhere.

INT. OKLAHOMA - THE TRAPPED SAILORS

They are gasping, running out of air.

SAILOR FLASHLIGHT

Breathe easy. Stay calm.

SAILOR

You hear something?

Something stirs in the ship; a noise...from where? Then a

point of light; sparks fly into the room; somebody's cutting

through the wall. And the sparks illuminate faces suddenly

filled with hope.

But as the cut enlarges, the trapped air, compressed by the

water, starts rushing out - and the water starts rising

again. The trapped sailors hope turns to terror.

SAILOR

It's letting out air, and letting in

water!

The steel circle pops out, and they knock the welders down in

their hurry to escape.

Some of the sailors who were trapped are naked. They fight

their way toward the escape hole cut into the hull, assisted

by rescue workers.

EXT. HULL OF OKLAHOMA - NIGHT

The trapped sailors emerge, and they can barely take in the

devastation. Destroyed ships everywhere, the smoking

wreckage... The rescued sailors gaze around them in shock.

They are shivering, and other sailors put blankets around

them.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

The entire Washington press corps is waiting, with fresh

bulbs in the flash attachments of cameras that are already as

big as a shoe box. The President is wheeled out of the White

House, and not a single photographer takes a picture...not

yet.

Aides help Roosevelt from the chair, and the press people all

see the President struggle on legs that have no strength, to

the podium. His aides lock the steel clasps at the knees of

his braces into place, and the President stands at the

microphone. And suddenly, from the front, Roosevelt looks

powerful, even majestic.

Now all the bulbs pop and flash. He looks into the cameras.

ROOSEVELT

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date

which will live in infamy - the United

States of American was suddenly and

deliberately attacked by naval and air

forces of the Empire of Japan.

OVER THIS, we see the bombing, the aftermath, the bodies

being fished from the oil-soaked harbor.

ROOSEVELT

The distance of Hawaii from Japan makes

it obvious that the attacks was planned

many days or even weeks ago. During the

intervening time the Japanese Government

has deliberately sought to deceive the

United States by false statements and

expressions of hope for continued peace.

EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - DAY

The Japanese fleet steams back toward Japan. The young

officers are exultant...but Yamamoto is pensive.

ROOSEVELT

...I regret to tell you that many

American lives have been lost.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

We see rows of bodies outside the hospital where Gwen

works.

The mess hall has been converted to a silent morgue, with

bodies on every table.

ROOSEVELT

Yesterday the Japanese Government also

launched an attack against Malaya. Last

night Japanese forces attacked Hong

Kong... Guam...

OVER THIS, EXT. ISLANDS - NIGHT

We see Japanese planes bombing islands, and soldiers

attacking amphibious landings.

ROOSEVELT

...the Philippine Islands... Wake

Island... And this morning the Japanese

attacked Midway Island.

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

ROOSEVELT

The facts speak for themselves. With

confidence in our armed forces - with

the unbounding determination of our

people - we will gain the inevitable

triumph - so help us God. I ask that

the Congress declare that since the

unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan

on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of

war -

The words echoes out across America -

ROOSEVELT'S VOICE

War...war...war...

It rings through the radios of farm houses, to country boys

gathered round; in the pool halls of big cities; in the fire

houses and high schools...

THE LINES AT RECRUITING STATIONS all across America - men

line up faster than the recruiters can handle them.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

Roosevelt meets with his advisors.

ROOSEVELT

Gentlemen, the crisis we face is not the

fact that our enemies believe they can

defeat us - it's the fact that our people

believe it too. I want a plan - a

workable plan - to hit the heart of

Japan, to bomb them the way they have

bombed us.

ADMIRAL

Mr. President, Pearl Harbor caught us

because we didn't face facts. This isn't

a time for ignoring them again. There

are no planes in the entire American

arsenal capable of covering the distance

to Japan from any land base we control

while carrying enough bombs to do any

damage whatsoever.

GENERAL MARSHALL

He's right, Mr. President. The Army has

long range bombers, but no place to

launch them from. Midway's too far,

China is overrun by Japanese forces, and

Russia refuses to go to war with Japan

and won't allow us to launch a raid from

there.

ADMIRAL

The navy's planes are small, carry light

loads, and have short range. We would

have to get them within a few hundred

miles of Japan, and therefore risk our

carriers. And if we lose our carriers,

we have no shield against invasion.

ROOSEVELT

What if the Japanese did invade?

GENERAL MARSHALL

We've done studies. We're confident we

would turn them back eventually...after

they'd gotten as far as Chicago.

ADMIRAL

Mr. President...with all respect...what

you are asking can't be done.

Roosevelt places his hands on the arms of his wheelchair, and

struggles to lift himself. Aides jump to help him, but he

waves them off. With inhuman physical effort, that has his

neck veins bulging and sweat popping on his face, Roosevelt

stands on his withered legs.

ROOSEVELT

Do not tell me...it can't be done.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - HICKAM BASE - DAY

There is a mass memorial service going on, with caskets

draped in flags.

There are also coffins covered in Japanese flags, their

drowned fliers being treated now with respect.

Everyone is in their best uniforms. The pilots - Duncan,

Trent, and the other guys - are looking at Scott's coffin;

Gwen, next to Trent, on his appropriate side is looking at

one that belongs to Izzy. So is Owen; he's grieving.

MINISTER

...Where is God in this? Our enemies

believe a divine wind protects them. We

see our friends laid out before us, and

find it hard to believe in anything at

all.

Duncan and Gwen exchange a glance, past Trent.

MINISTER

Though we cannot understand why our

friends should die while we live, we can

affirm our truest selves in our belief

that any God worth divinity would choose

both justice and mercy, and would take

these fallen brothers and sisters into

eternal peace. Amen.

As the mourners disperse, Gwen puts a lei on Izzy's

casket; Owen does the same, then breaks down beside Trent. As

Trent comforts him, Gwen moves to Duncan.

GWEN

Duncan -

DUNCAN

I need to tell you something. I didn't

know what it was to lose somebody, to see

death and find how much it scares you.

That you haven't lived and loved enough.

I didn't understand. Forgive me.

GWEN

Duncan... No. You forgive me.

DUNCAN

Of course I forgive you. I know what you

feel for Trent is real. And your choice

is your choice.

GWEN

That's what I have to tell you, Duncan. It

wasn't a choice. It -

An Army Corps MAJOR steps up and interrupts.

MAJOR

Lieutenant Duncan McCawley?

DUNCAN

Yes, Major.

MAJOR

Lieutenant Trent Walker here too?

Trent sees him and moves up.

TRENT

I'm Walker.

MAJOR

You're going Stateside. We fly out in

half an hour.

He hands them both orders.

RAFE

What for, Sir?

MAJOR

Ask Colonel McLean. Those orders are

from him.

EXT. HICKAM FIELD - DAY

The wrecked planes have been pushed off the runway and lie in

piles. A transport plane is fueling, and Duncan and Trent wait

in the shade of a shelter.

TRENT

I told her not to come.

The Major, watching the fueling, gets a wave from the ground

crew and turns and motions to Duncan and Trent that they're

ready. They pick up their duffel bags - and then Gwen

comes around the corner of the shelter.

Duncan sees her first, but stops and looks away as Trent moves

to her. For a moment he studies her eyes, and she does not

look away.

TRENT

This hasn't been easy for any of us. I

feel awful for how it's happened. But

I've seen my first spring too. Thanks

for knowing that's true.

He takes her into his arms, kisses her tenderly but briefly,

a final time. Gwen's eyes find Duncan, but he can't look at

her until the embrace is over.

Duncan and Trent move to the plane and hurry up the steps.

They turn before the door closes and wave to her.

Gwen's still standing there as the plane lifts away.

INT. U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATION - NIGHT

The transport has landed and taxied right to the door of a

low, dark bunker, mostly underground. The Major leads Duncan

and Trent inside.

INT. BUNKER

Rafe and Danny follow the Major down a spartan corridor; the

whole place reeks of secrecy.

INT. BUNKER - SECRECY ROOM - NIGHT

The Major opens the door for Duncan and Trent, then leaves,

closing it behind him. McLean is alone at a desk. Duncan

and Trent walk in and salute. McLean motions to the two

chairs in front of the desk without looking up from the

papers he's studying.

McLEAN

I heard what you did.

DUNCAN

We can explain, Colonel.

McLEAN

Explain what?

TRENT

Whatever is was you heard about us.

McLEAN

You mean the hula shirts you were flying

in?... Or the six planes you shot down?

You're both being awarded the Silver

Star, and promoted to captain.

DUNCAN

Is that the good new, Sir, or -

McLEAN

You're just about the only pilots in the

Army with actual combat experience, so

you're volunteering for a mission I've

been ordered to put together. Do you

know what top secret is?

DUNCAN

Well sure, Colonel -

McLEAN

Top secret means you help me pick the

other pilots, train, and go - without

knowing where you're going until it's too

late.

TRENT

You can count on us.

McLEAN

There's only one other thing I can tell

you.

McLean looks up from his paperwork for the first time.

His eyes are fierce.

McLEAN

You won't need any goddamn hula shirts.

EXT. ESTABLISHING EGLIN FIELD, FLORIDA - DAY

Eglin Field is on the gulf coast of Florida.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - EGLIN FIELD - DAY

A room full of PILOTS are assembled, with and other CREWMEN.

Trent and Duncan are there; Owen and Justin too.

VOICE

Attention!

Colonel McLEAN strides into the room as all the men snap

to attention.

McLEAN

Be seated. The mission you've

volunteered for is dangerous. How

dangerous? Look at the man beside you.

It's a good bet that six weeks from now,

either you or he will be dead.

Trent and Duncan whisper to each other -

TRENT

Sorry you're gonna die - cause I'm gonna

make it.

DUNCAN

What color flowers you want me to bring

to your funeral?

McLEAN

In flight school you qualified in single

and in multi-engine planes. You'll be

flying multi-engines here.

DUNCAN

(whispering)

Bombers.

McLEAN

I want to introduce a couple of people.

Doc White is a flight surgeon; he has

volunteered for gunnery training so that

he can go on the mission, because we

can't spare the weight of an extra man.

TRENT

(whispering)

A long range bomber mission.

McLEAN

...And Ross Greening, who will oversee

your equipment. Any questions?

TRENT

Who'll be the first one in, Colonel? I'd

like to volunt -

Duncan elbows his ribs so hard it takes his breath away.

McLEAN

I thought I'd made it clear, I'm not

just putting this mission together - I'm

leading it myself.

DUNCAN

I take it back, about the flowers. We're

all gonna die.

EXT. EGLIN FIELD - RUNWAY - DAY

CLOSE - A B-25 bomber, from different angles.

The pilots look them over, liking what they see.

McLEAN

This is what we'll fly - the B-25.

There's one thing you have to be aware of

from the very beginning. You see that

private?

They look down the runway a few hundred feet. A private

waves, and starts painting a red line across the runway.

Another private, close by, paints a green line.

McLEAN

Green means go. Red means dead.

MONTAGE - THE TRAINING - EGLIN FIELD - DAY

The pilots practice takeoff's. Owen is Duncan's copilot;

Justin is Trent's. Nobody can get airborne before the red

line.

INT. EGLIN FIELD - LECTURE ROOM - DAY

McLEAN is instructing the men.

McLEAN

You're having trouble getting airborne in

the shorter space because you're not

revving the engines enough. You've got

to push them to the limit before you ever

start to move.

Duncan is distracted; he's lost in though, looking at Trent -

and looks away just before Trent realizes it.

MONTAGE CONTINUES - EXT. EGLIN FIELD RUNWAY - DAY

Pilots practice hard, revving the engines, taking off

hard...all of them crossing the red line, takeoff after

takeoff. Duncan pushes his engine hard and still crosses by

twenty feet; Trent pushes even harder, and misses by ten

feet.

McLEAN watches with Greening from the edge of the runway.

McLEAN

We've got to get the weight down.

INT. HANGER - EGLIN FIELD - DAY

Greening has removed the intensely complex Norden sight from

a bomber and put in on a table for McLEAN.

GREENING

Okay, forty pounds gone. And in it's

place, this.

He shows Doolittle an aluminum strip on a swivel.

GREENING

Weight, 3 ounces. Cost, 20 cents.

McLEAN

Does it work?

EXT. EGLIN FIELD - DAY

McLEAN pilots a B-25 at treetop level onto a practice

bombing range. Greening uses the makeshift sight, and drops

a 500-lb sack of flour, right in the middle of the bull's-eye

target chalked on the ground.

EXT. FLORIDA COAST - DAY

The B-25's are practicing, flying at treetop level. Owen is

Duncan's copilot, Justin is Trent's. McLean is flying the

lead bomber.

McLEAN

Right down to the treetops. Low as you

can.

Duncan brings his plane down, smoothly. Then Trent's plane

appears - under him. Duncan jerks his nose up quickly.

Duncan's angry; Trent's laughing - but he scares the shit out

of his crew.

EXT. EGLIN FIELD - NIGHT

Trent's outside, looking up at the moon. Duncan appears and

moves up beside him.

TRENT

Fun today. Like old times.

DUNCAN

Trent, what the hell are you trying to do

out there?

TRENT

What do you mean? I'm just doing what

we've always done.

DUNCAN

No. You're trying to beat me.

TRENT

We've always tried to beat each other.

DUNCAN

Bullshit. We've played with each other,

pushed each other. This is different.

Like you want to prove that you're

better than me. Who's that for -

Gwen?

Trent's anger flares for a moment - but Duncan's hit home.

TRENT

Maybe just trying to measure up.

DUNCAN

What's between you and her is between you

and her. But here's what's between you

and me. Everybody has a hero, Trent.

And you're mine.

Trent's caught off-guard.

DUNCAN

When we were growing up, I had

everything. You had nothing. You

climbed out of a hole I couldn't even see

the bottom of. I think maybe when I went

off to England, I was trying to measure

up to you. Measuring up's over. Let's

just look out for each other. Okay?

They embrace, closer now than ever.

MONTAGE - INTERCUT

with the planes practicing their short takeoffs, we see

Roosevelt in one of his fireside chats, his voice broadcast

across America...

ROOSEVELT'S VOICE

Good evening, America...

Families all across America are gathered around radios,

listening.

ROOSEVELT'S VOICE

I'm told that 80% of American families

are listening to these fireside chats of

ours, and I'm happy we can come together,

as one great American family. I'd like

each of you within the sound of my voice

to find a map...

The FAMILIES do, gathering around encyclopedias, school

books, any reference they have, spread on kitchen tables,

suburban living room rugs, or farmhouse hearths...

And the B-25's, all sixteen of them, begin a journey in

formation, flying at treetop level across America:

Mississippi delta land, Texas plains, Arizona mesas...

ROOSEVELT'S VOICE

Look at the Pacific Ocean. It covers

half the surface of the earth. And look

at the great Atlantic. The oceans both

divide and connect us to our enemies, and

either they will come to us, or we will

go to them...

The formation of B-25's reaches San Francisco.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO NAVAL AIR STATION - DAY

McLEAN leads the bombers to a landing. IN DUNCAN'S PLANE,

everybody's wondering why they're here.

OWEN

N-naval station? What's g-going on?

DUNCAN

Wish I knew, Owen.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO AIR FIELD - DAY

The crews climb from their planes, and almost before they're

out, teams of men use straps and cranes to hoist the bombers

onto flatbed trucks. McLean walks up to Duncan and Trent,

watching the baffling operation.

McLEAN

Want to see where they're going?

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR - EVENING

Cranes lift the planes from the trucks and hoist them onto

the flight decks of the carrier USS HORNET. The pilots stand

on the pier, watching.

JUSTIN

I guess that settles it. Somewhere in

the Pacific.

OWEN

With a s-short r-runway.

They all gather around McLEAN as he moves up to them.

McLEAN

You have rooms at the Biltmore. I

suggest a nice meal and a good night's

sleep. We leave tomorrow.

McLEAN walks to join a captain.

INT./ EXT. SAN FRANCISCO HOTEL - NIGHT

The pilots get off the bus and carry their duffels into the

lobby.

JUSTIN

San Francisco, here we are!

TRENT

(grinning)

I don't reckon we can get hogbrains and

grits, but I hear a man can eat good in

this town.

DUNCAN

I'm gonna turn in. I hate being on the

water. I think this is the last sleep

I'll get for awhile.

INT. LOBBY - NIGHT

The other guys drop their duffels with the bell hops; Duncan

moves to the reception desk.

DUNCAN

McCawley.

The manager hands him a key, and smiles curiously.

MANAGER

Have fun.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Duncan enters his room and finds the light on...and Gwen's

there waiting.

DUNCAN

What?...

GWEN

They were bringing back a ship full of

wounded and needed extra nurses along. I

wrote Colonel McLEAN, and told him I

needed to see you before you go.

DUNCAN

It must of been a convincing letter.

GWEN

It was. I couldn't have you go away,

wherever it is...to war...without knowing

something. You think I made a choice, of

Trent over you. I didn't. I didn't have

a choice. I'm pregnant.

The blood drains from Duncan's heart. Yet he finds the

strength to move to her. She turns away, so she won't throw

her arms around him.

DUNCAN

Does Danny know?

She shakes her head, refuses to cry.

GWEN

I wasn't sure, until the day you turned

up alive. I never had a chance to tell

him. Now I can't have him thinking about

this when he needs to be thinking about

his mission, and how to come back from

it.

She turns and faces him again.

GWEN

I want you thinking about that too. Just

come back.

(beat)

Duncan, I see it in your face. You're

thinking you don't have anything to live

for. Don't you dare think that way.

I'll never write a letter, or look at a

sunset, without thinking of you. I'll

love you my whole life. And I want you

to live.

She looks at him, her eyes bright with tears, but still she

refuses to cry. They both know they can't touch, or they'll

never let go. She walks past him, out of the room, closing

the door softly behind her.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR - DAY

The USS HORNET clears the Golden Gate Bridge, with cruisers

and destroyers rounding out its battle group.

Duncan and Trent stand on the flight deck, watching the city

recede behind them.

Gwen is on a hilltop watching them go. Trent can't see

her, doesn't know she's there. Duncan can't see her either -

but he knows.

SHIP'S INTERCOM

Army pilots to the briefing room.

INT. THE CARRIER HORNET - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY

The pilots are gathered expectantly in the carrier's

conference room. McLEAN strides in.

McLEAN

Gentlemen, I can now tell you that the

target of this mission is Tokyo.

The pilots love it. The ones who have not seen battle are

grinning and vocal. Duncan, Trent, Justin, and Owen are

quieter, savoring the prospect of revenge.

OWEN

And where's the secret base, Sir? The

one we t-takeoff from.

McLEAN

The navy will get us to within 400 miles

of the Japanese coast. We'll launch off

the carriers from there.

Suddenly the pilots don't like the sound of this.

JUSTIN

Sir, has this ever been done, launching

an army bomber off a navy carrier?

McLEAN

No. Any other questions?

OWEN

C-Colonel, we been p-practicing

takeoff's, but I ain't sure we can land

on these carriers d-decks.

McLEAN

We won't have the fuel to get back to the

carriers; they'll turn and run back to

Hawaii the minute we're airborne.

OWEN

Then wh-where do we land?

McLEAN

I have a phrase I want you all to

memorize: "Lushu hoo megwa fugi." It

means "I am an American." In Chinese.

Absolute silence among the pilots.

EXT. FLIGHT DECK OF THE HORNET - DAY

The sailors who man the flight deck look at each other with

bafflement as the worried pilots pace from one end of the

deck to the other. They're in a line like ducks, Duncan in the

lead and the others following, counting steps, each man

measuring the distance. Shaking their heads, worrying.

They stop at the end and look down at the sea far below them;

it's dizzying. Justin shoves Owen for fun before grabbing

his shoulder to stop him from falling.

OWEN

A-a-asshole!... Maybe it's l-longer

going this way.

He starts pacing back the other way, as if the ship's longer

in that direction. The other pilots watch him for a moment,

then follow him, counting again.

Duncan and Trent are left standing alone at the end of the

flight deck. Far over the surging sea.

TRENT

It's shorter than our practice runway.

DUNCAN

They'll turn the ship into the wind

before we launch. That'll help.

TRENT

We'll be loaded with 2,000 pounds of

bombs and 1,500 pounds of fuel. I got

another Chinese phrase for McLEAN.

"Mug wump rickshaw mushu pork." It

means "Who the fuck thought up this

shit?"

McLEAN appears right beside them.

McLEAN

He was a navy man.

McLEAN walks away.

McLEAN

Maybe we'll be lucky with the weather.

SMASH TO:

EXT. PACIFIC - A FEROCIOUS STORM - NIGHT

The Hornet tosses, bashed by a vicious storm.

INT. CARRIER HORNET - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY

The ships is rolling; most of the fliers are green.

McLEAN stands at the podium.

McLEAN

Since we'll be on our own once we're in

the air, I thought I had a good idea

letting each crew select it's own target.

He looks at a pile of paper slips in front of him.

McLEAN

Now we have fifteen requests for the

Emperor's Palace...and one for Tokyo

baseball stadium.

OWEN

I d-don't think Japs ought'a be allowed

to p-play baseball.

McLEAN

I'd like to bomb their Emperor too. But

I think that'd just piss 'em off. The

idea here, Gentlemen, is not revenge.

We're here to prove to them that they're

neither invincible nor superior. So

let's try this again. Military targets

only.

OWEN

Colonel, to f-fight you need strategy.

To have strategy, ya gotta practice. And

to practice it, ya gotta play -

McLEAN

No baseball diamonds, Owen.

OWEN

Y-Yes Sir.

EXT. PACIFIC - DAY

The storm is subsiding, but it's still raining. From the

bridge of the Hornet, they spot the ENTERPRISE.

ADMIRAL

The Enterprise will ride shotgun when we

launch the bombers. They wanted our

carriers at Pearl, and now we've come to

them. If the Japanese get us, they'll be

having dinner in San Francisco next

month.

EXT. FLIGHT DECK - THE HORNET - DAY

The preparations begin. Deck crews move the B-25's to the

rear of the flight deck. Fueling teams top off the bomber's

gas tanks. Ordnance men hoist four bombs into each aircraft,

and the army gunners load ammunition for the machine guns.

Greening checks the planes' mechanical and hydraulic systems.

And once again the pilots are out pacing the deck distance.

It's turned into a game for them, walking off nerves. As

Duncan and Trent pass.

DUNCAN

It's not getting any longer.

TRENT

Longer? It's getting shorter.

INT. HORNET - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY

McLEAN is laying out the plan for all the pilots.

McLEAN

We'll take off late this afternoon. I'll

hit Tokyo at dusk, and drop incendiary

bombs. You'll come after me at night,

guided by the fires. Then it's on to

China, where you'll arrive at dawn,

guided to their airfields by the homing

beacons the Chinese are going to switch

on for us. That's if everything is

perfect - like every other military

mission I've ever been involved with.

McLEAN looks around the room. No one's smiling.

McLEAN

Listen you guys. I'm the first plane -

then McCawley, Walker, the rest of you.

I'll have the shortest run. If I don't

make it, you don't go.

DUNCAN

Colonel...we're all going. Whether you

make it or not.

McLEAN

I know.

EXT. BRIDGE OF THE CRUISER NASHVILLE - DAY

The cruiser Nashville is at the perimeter of the task force.

It's lookouts spot Japanese patrol boats ahead.

INT. BRIDGE OF THE ENTERPRISE - DAY

The message is handed to Admiral Halsey.

OFFICER

Sir, lookouts on the cruisers report

patrol boats, ten miles away!

HALSEY

The Japs have set up a picket line!

Order the cruisers to open fire! We've

got to sink them before they get a

message away.

EXT. PACIFIC - DAY

The cruiser NASHVILLE begins firing rounds at the Japanese

patrol boat; round after round misses.

INT. HORNET'S RADIO ROOM - DAY

The operators hear the excited voices of Japanese radio

traffic.

RADIO OPERATOR

They've reported our position! Tell the

Admiral.

EXT. HORNET - DAY

McLEAN hurries up to the command bridge, with the naval

officers sent by the Admiral to fetch him. McLEAN sees

the cruisers next to the carrier firing its guns - at

Japanese boats in the distance.

INT. BRIDGE OF THE HORNET - DAY

McLEAN finds the Admiral gathered with his staff, their

mood is grim.

McLEAN

How far are we from Tokyo?

ADMIRAL

Seven hundred miles.

INT. PILOT'S WARD ROOMS - SERIES OF DISSOLVES

Duncan, Trent, and the other pilots are alone at their bunks,

taking advantage of the lull before the mission.

Duncan has paper and pen to write a letter, but he can't think

of anything to write.

Trent holds the "Picture of Paradise" that Sammy took, of

Gwen and the nurses in the sun. He tucks it inside his

shirt, when he hears -

LOUDSPEAKER

Army pilots, man your planes!

EXT. FLIGHT DECK - THE HORNET - DAY

The pilots run onto deck. The cruiser next to the Hornet is

still firing away at the Japanese patrol boat.

McLEAN runs onto deck, shouting orders.

McLEAN

Load in every bit of extra gas you can

carry! And strip everything you don't

need out of the planes. I mean

EVERYTHING!

EXT. HORNET - FLIGHT DECK - STRIPPING THE PLANES - DAY

It's starting to rain but the guys don't notice at all.

They're stripping seats out of the planes, tossing out their

own gear.

Greening pulls the machine guns out of the rear of the planes

and puts in broomsticks painted black.

Off in the distance the Japanese patrol boat takes a hit and

explodes. Duncan and Trent meet between their bombers.

TRENT

Broomsticks instead of tail guns.

DUNCAN

We'll get separated over the target, but

you and I will rendezvous for the run to

China. I'm on your wing.

TRENT

And I'm on yours. Land of the free.

DUNCAN

Home of the Brave.

They climb into their bombers.

EXT. HORNET - FLIGHT DECK - DAY

The engines are revving. The tachs are showing redline. The

crews are in their planes. McLEAN is first, just ahead of

Duncan and Trent's B-25's.

The battle pennants whip, the props blur, the wheels strain

against the brakes; from the cockpits the flight deck looks

impossibly short...and the American flag cracks in the wind.

And now every pilot looks at McLEAN's plane...

McLEAN starts the run down the flight deck...faster...the

end looming. He turns the plane almost vertical, standing it

on its props...and lifts away smoothly.

The sailors on deck cheer, like the Japanese did before Pearl

Harbor.

Duncan, Trent, and the others take off too.

EXT. SKIMMING OVER THE WAVES - DAY

The B-25's head toward Japan.

EXT. PACIFIC - THE AMERICAN TASK FORCE - DAY

Admiral Halsey, on the deck of the ENTERPRISE, watches as the

last plane takes off. The planes recede in the distance,

racing just a few feet over the water, toward Japan.

HALSEY

Of all the other things this mission is

doing that have never been done before...

I've never sent out planes that I wasn't

going to see safely home. Let's get out

of here.

The task force runs for home.

EXT. SKIMMING OVER THE WAVES - DAY

At first the planes are together; Duncan and Trent can see each

other off each other's wing, and McLEAN's plane is ahead.

The others are grouped after them. They maintain strict

radio silence, and can communicate only with gestures, hand

signals, or a flasher for Morse code. When Duncan speaks to

the crew of his own plane, it's by pressing an intercom

sender to his throat.

DUNCAN

What's our ETA for Tokyo?

The bombardier/navigator is already working out the numbers

at his plotting table in the center of the plane.

NAVIGATOR

Almost exactly at 12 noon.

OWEN

High n-noon. I k-kinda like that.

Duncan looks over to Trent and gives him a thumbs up.

INT. TRENT'S PLANE - DAY

TRENT calls back to his GUNNER, who is watching the fuel

supply.

TRENT

We got a 25-mile-an-hour head wind. How

we doing with fuel?

GUNNER

How do you think?

The gunner is already pouring gas into the tanks from the

extra cans.

Justin stands and moves back to the rear of the plane, pulls

a piece of chalk from his pocket and writes on the nose of

the bombs - "For America," "For Pearl Harbor," "For the

Arizona," "For Scott."

- Duncan flies, lost in thought...

- Gwen is back at Pearl, struggling to keep her mind on

her work.

- Trent is looking at his gauges, then at the picture in

his shirt.

EXT. TOKYO - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY

It's a pleasant day, and the people of Tokyo are in a

confident, happy mood. They're shopping, smiling, enjoying

beautiful spring weather. The Emperor is on the garden of

his palace having lunch.

EXT. SKIMMING OVER THE WAVES - DAY

The American planes are coming.

INT. McLEAN'S PLANE - DAY

He and his navigator confer.

McLEAN'S NAVIGATOR

Time for the others to break off.

His copilot uses the flashes to signal the other planes.

They break off for their individual targets, every plane now

on it's own.

INT. JAPANESE AIR DEFENSE STATION - DAY

This is the nerve center of Tokyo's defense. An OFFICER

receives a message and reports to his supervisor.

JAPANESE DEFENSE OFFICER

Coastal stations report a low flying

plane coming in off the sea.

SUPERVISOR

From the sea?... That couldn't be right,

it must be part of the air raid practice

this morning.

EXT. SKIMMING OVER THE WAVES - DAY

The planes reach the Japanese coastline, and start skimming

over treetop level.

EXT. TOKYO - DAY

The office of an anti-aircraft battery blows its whistle; his

crew mount their guns and swerves them around. The officer

whistle's again and checks his watch.

ANTI-AIRCRAFT OFFICER

Not bad.

The crew dismount their guns; just a drill.

EXT. TOKYO - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY

The Japanese people are unaware of the drill. People are

browsing through open-air shops, where new radios are turned

on, playing music. And Tokyo Rose is talking - in English

and Japanese.

TOKYO ROSE (ON THE RADIO)

It is another beautiful day in Tokyo, as

all of Japan basks in a new day of

victory.

INT. THE PLANES - DAY

Coma, Trent's navigator, picks this up.

COMA

Listen to this - it's Tokyo Rose.

TOKYO ROSE (ON THE RADIO)

Our brave sailors and soldiers, inspired

by our divine Emperor, have pushed the

Americans from the Pacific.

These words go through the plane; and in the other planes

they hear it too.

TOKYO ROSE (ON THE RADIO)

But hiding at home will not save them.

Each time the Americans have tasted the

samurai spirit, they have learned the

bitter taste of defeat, while Japan is

embraced by the divine wind that has

protected our island for seven centuries.

EXT. TOKYO - DAY

The planes reach Tokyo, and flash across the rooftops.

INT. TRENT'S PLANE - DAY

JUSTIN

We'll give that bitch something to

announce.

Trent and Duncan give each other a wave, and divert toward

their separate targets. Each plane is on its own now.

EXT. TOKYO - DAY

McLEAN's plane flashes right over the Emperor's palace.

The Emperor sits in the garden, meditating.

EXT. TOKYO - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY

Mothers walking their children see the planes flash by

overhead, and like the people at Pearl, they think they are

friendlies. A toddler points up and smiles. His mother

picks him up and hugs him happily.

JAPANESE MOTHER

Yes! So beautiful!

INT. THE PLANES - DAY

Duncan's bombardier works his 20-cent bombsight, as Duncan holds

the plane steady, bringing it up to 200 feet.

They scan for fighter or anti-aircraft fire. There isn't

any.

DUNCAN

Open bomb bay doors.

TRENT'S PLANE runs toward its target...

McLEAN'S PLANE races over Tokyo...

GUNNER

Bomb bay doors open, sir.

DUNCAN

It's all yours.

The bombardier hits the first switch. The bomb falls toward

a factory.

It strikes home, right on target. The blast is shocking -

it blows debris higher than the plane.

EXT. TOKYO - THE BOMBING - VARIOUS SHOTS

The individual planes drop their bombs, four per plane, on

shipyards, factories, oil supplies, weapons facilities.

Their bombing is highly accurate.

On the ground, at the open-air market, for a brief moment

Radio Tokyo goes silent; then -

TOKYO ROSE (ON THE RADIO)

We interrupt this broadcast... Tokyo is

being bombed!

EXT. THE EMPEROR'S PALACE - DAY

The Emperor looks up at the sound of air raid sirens and

distant explosions.

EMPEROR'S ATTENDANT

Surely just a drill, Divine One.

INT. DUNCAN'S PLANE - DAY

NAVIGATOR

Last bomb away.

It slams into a factory, blowing debris everywhere and

turning the factory into an inferno.

DUNCAN's tail gunner sees Zeros swarming in with vengeance.

GUNNER

We got Zeros! And they're pissed off!

Rafe changes course quickly.

INT. DANNY'S PLANE - DAY

Anti-aircraft FLAK bursts in the sky in front of them; TRENT

takes evasive action.

INT. DUNCAN'S PLANE - ABOVE TOKYO - DAY

Duncan pushes the engines to top speed and changes course

again; but the B-25's can't outrun the Zeros. Their fire

chews into the bomber's tail, hitting the gunner. Owen

scrambles back to find the gunner dead.

DUNCAN

Can you get 'em off us?

Owen reacting to bullets coming through the rear of the

fuselage, looks at the brooms protruding from the rear of the

plane.

OWEN

Whatta ya want me to do, sweep 'em!

As the bombardier, navigator, and Owen jump onto the other

machine guns, Duncan looks for a way out. He dives down toward

the city. The Zeros follow.

EXT. SKIES OVER TOKYO - DAY

Duncan takes the B-25 right down among the buildings, sometimes

even having to spin the wings to get through. The Zeros

can't keep up with this...

But Duncan can't keep it up long, either; they break out into

open ground rail yards, where there's no place for him to

hide...

The Zeros come in to chew him up...

But they take fire from another B-25 - Trent's - coming in

to save Duncan's plane. Rafe now uses the radio.

DUNCAN

Trent, get the hell out of here!

But Trent stays, mixing it up with the Zeros; with both

B-25's together, their machine guns down one Zero and damage

another. But there are too many.

Duncan sees clouds coming in, and fog.

DUNCAN

Trent, run for the clouds!

The bombers race toward the clouds, and make it; the Zeros

lose them.

EXT. SKIES - BROKEN CLOUDS - DAY

Duncan and Trent keep broken contact through the clouds, and

settle in for the long run to China.

INT. DUNCAN'S COCKPIT - DAY

DUNCAN

We burned a lot of fuel back there.

Flash them and ask about their supply.

INT. TRENT'S PLANE - DAY

JUSTIN reads the Morse code.

JUSTIN

"How's your fuel?"

Trent looks across to Duncan and shakes his head.

INT. ROOSEVELT'S RESIDENCE - HYDE PARK, NY - DAY

Roosevelt is at his desk when General Marshall enters.

GENERAL MARSHALL

We have bombed Tokyo, Mr. President.

Radio Tokyo interrupted it's own

broadcast to make the announcement.

ROOSEVELT

Have the planes made it to China?

GENERAL MARSHALL

There've been some complications, Sir.

The Chinese didn't receive our request

for homing beacons until is was too late

to get them set. And the planes had to

take off so early they may lack fuel to

make the mainland anyway.

ROOSEVELT

So those brave men are flying blind and

running out of fuel.

GENERAL MARSHALL

The Chinese are sending out search

parties to try to find the crews before

the Jap patrols do, if any of the planes

make it.

ROOSEVELT

God help them.

EXT. SEA OF JAPAN - DUSK

They've climbed above the clouds; the fliers are exhausted.

The sun is beginning to set. Rafe stares at it...

INT. HOSPITAL - PEARL HARBOR - DUSK

The place is white again - the white of bandages and casts.

Everyone is busy, and even the wounded are looking out for

each other; a man with his arms in an airplane splint holds a

spoon and feeds a badly burned buddy. Gwen and her

overworked nurses are looking after the critical cases. But

as she covers the windows with blackout curtains, she stops

for just a moment to stare at the sun's last rays.

EXT. SKIES OVER PACIFIC - NIGHT

Colonel McLEAN can make out mountains below them.

McLEAN

We'll fly till we run out of fuel, then

bail out.

Just then his engines start to sputter.

McLEAN

Chute!

He puts the plane on auto-pilot and the men move to the

hatches. Three guys go out; it's just McLEAN and his

copilot left.

McLEAN

Nobody else is gonna make it either. If

I live through this, they're gonna put me

in Leavenworth Prison.

They jump.

INT. TRENT'S PLANE - NIGHT

Coma moves up to Trent.

COMA

We're running out of fuel. And I can't

find the beacon.

Trent gestures across to Rafe that he hears nothing in his

radio phones. Duncan gestures the same thing back.

They look down and the entire ground is covered with clouds.

DUNCAN

I don't know if we're over sea or land.

Drop flares and try to spot something.

EXT. SKIES OVER PACIFIC - NIGHT

They drop flares; they disappear into the cloud cover and

tell them nothing.

EXT. SKIES - RAFE AND DANNY'S PLANE - NIGHT

Trent's engines are sputtering; his gunner pours the last

drops of gas into the tanks.

TRENT

Flash Duncan. We're gonna bail.

Owen sees Justin signal.

OWEN

They've gotta jump.

DUNCAN

Not unless we know he's over land!

Duncan yells at Trent, as if he could hear -

DUNCAN

You are not bailing out into water!

DUNCAN'S NAVIGATOR

Coastline below!

Through a break in the clouds they spot a rocky shoreline.

DUNCAN

We've got coast! Signal him to climb and

jump.

Owen signals; Trent's plane signals back.

OWEN

They don't have fuel to make altitude.

He's gonna set it down in the water.

DUNCAN looks over at TRENT, who is gesturing; he gives up on

the hand signals and grabs the flasher; OWEN reads the Morse

code...

OWEN

Y-O-U... G-O. You go on.

Duncan grabs the flasher and angrily flashes back two letters.

DUNCAN

N-O! We stay together! I'll go in

first.

Duncan turns his bomber and Trent follows, their planes arcing

down toward the rocky coast; it's hairy, the clouds masking

their view, as the altimeter winds down... At the last moment

they see rocks looming out of the surf.

INT. DUNCAN'S PLANE - NIGHT

He's shouting to his crew -

DUNCAN

Hang on tight! I'll put her in the

smooth water and we'll swim in!

INT. TRENT'S PLANE - NIGHT

His engines are sputtering, catching, sputtering; he fights

to stay in control.

EXT. CHINA COAST - NIGHT

Duncan's plane settles down toward the water; he guns the

engine to level out, and the plane skims across the surface;

then the propellers catch and the plane stops like it hit a

wall, flipping over it's nose.

TRENT'S PLANE is struggling; when he tries to add throttle,

the engines sputter out. The plane drops, skips once on the

surface, then hits a shoreline rock belly first.

Trent and Justin are ejected through the top of the

fuselage; Coma is hurled forward right through the glass nose

of the plane.

INT. DUNCAN'S PLANE - NIGHT

DUNCAN and OWEN come to in the plane inverted and sinking. They

react, unbuckling, grabbing for their crewmates as the plane

is quickly filling. The navigator and gunner are

unconscious; the bombardier is dead. Owen struggles with the

hatch and can't make it budge.

DUNCAN

It won't open til the plane fills!

They struggle to breath as the water envelops them. But as

the water reaches the top, Rafe takes a last breath and dives

to the hatch; it comes open, and they swim up, dragging the

rest of the crew.

EXT. CHINA COAST - NIGHT

They break the surface, and struggle to shore with the

unconscious navigator and gunner.

Duncan's looking everywhere; he sees Trent's plane crashed

against the rock. He fights his way through the surf to

Trent's plane, Owen following.

Duncan finds Trent face up in the water.

Owen finds Justin on the rock. He's face up, but as Owen

lifts him he finds the back of Justin's head is gone.

The rest of Trent's crew are floating in the surf, dead.

Duncan and Owen pull Trent to shore.

DUNCAN

TRENT! TRENT!

Trent's eyes flutter open; he sees Duncan and mumbles -

TRENT

I've made better landings.

Trent's hand gropes to his throat; Duncan finds a V shaped

shard of the fuselage hooked into his neck.

Duncan grabs it, trying to bend it open; the sharp metal cuts

his hands, but he keeps straining. It won't work, He pulls

his .45 from his jacket and tries to pry the metal. It works

a bit; he tosses the pistol aside and grabs the shard again,

and opens it.

DUNCAN

You hang on, Trent! You hang on! You're

gonna make it!

Duncan's head snaps forward, crunched with the butt of a rifle;

a Japanese patrol, four men, have arrived. They're angry,

scared, hyped. They knock Owen down too, yelling and

brandishing their rifles at the fliers on the beach, living

and dead.

The Japanese officer is barking orders. They find the

Captain's insignia on Trent's jacket, and begin binding him

to a yoke, his wrists tied to the wood like a crucifixion, a

wire around his neck. They find the navigator unconscious,

but alive. The officer snaps a single word and a soldier

shoots the navigator.

The others wire Duncan's ankles together... Rafe is

emotionless.

DUNCAN'S CONSCIOUSNESS fades in and out. He hears Trent

choking, and his mind sees Trent as a boy those long years

ago, being carried by the neck across the field by his

father...

Then Duncan sees THE PRESENT: Trent being half-carried, half-

dragged by the neck by two Japanese. The officer is pulling

Owen along, hands bound behind him. And Duncan starts moving,

being dragged on his back, pulled by his feet along the rocky

sand.

His hand slides by the pistol he tossed behind the rock.

The whole world slows down.

He clutches it, shoots one of the men towing Trent. And as

the man dragging Duncan turns around, Duncan shoots him in the

face.

The officer spins, raising his rifle; the soldier pulling

Owen, shoves him onto his face in the sand and aims his rifle

too. The officer is pulling the trigger to kill Duncan when

Trent slams him down from behind.

The fourth soldier shoots Trent in the gut, then takes aim

for Duncan's heart - and is shot through the chest from

behind.

The Japanese officers rises in surprise and is cut down by

scythes carried by the Chinese peasant soldiers who are just

arriving.

Duncan struggles to Trent, moving the Chinese aside. Trent

lies on his back, clutching his wound as if to hold onto his

life.

DUNCAN

Trent...

TRENT

I can't make it.

DUNCAN

Yes you can.

But Trent is silent, his eyes drifting shut, and in that

moment Duncan thinks he is gone already. Then Trent's eyes

drift open, finding him.

TRENT

Take care of Gwen.

The words almost kill Duncan, filling him with grief. From

somewhere he finds the strength to say -

DUNCAN

I will. And your baby.

(beat)

You're gonna be a father.

Did Trent hear? His eyes are closed again. But his head

comes up; Duncan takes it, and Trent pulls him closer to

whisper -

TRENT

No. You are.

Duncan cradles Trent in his arms. Trent's eyes are open, but

Duncan sees no light there.

DUNCAN

Trent... Land of the free... Land of the

free...

But Trent will never answer him again. Duncan hugs Trent

tight, and weeps.

EXT. VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY

The news of the raid hits Washington...and the rest of

America. If it isn't wild celebration; when people see the

headline: AIR RAID ON TOKYO, and McLEAN DOES MUCH; their

faces change, as if finally told what they already knew -

that America would prevail.

VOICE OVER

The McLEAN Raid was the pivotal moment

of America's war with Japan. Before it,

America knew nothing but defeat; after

it, nothing but victory.

(beat)

One crew of McLEAN's raiders made it to

Vladivostok, Russia, where they were

interred for much of the war. Thirteen

planes crash landed in China, where the

Chinese people helped the Americans

escape, and had their villages destroyed

and citizens executed by the Japanese

forces of occupation. Two crews were

captured by the Japanese and three fliers

were executed without trial, called "war

criminals" by the Japanese. Jimmy

Doolittle was promoted to General, and

given the medal of honor.

We see the ceremony at the White House, as Roosevelt presents

McLEAN with the metal.

EXT. TENNESSEE - DAY

Out by the crop dusting landing field is a memorial to Trent

Walker, with an American flag flying high above it. Standing

at the memorial are Duncan and Gwen. Duncan holds a child in

his arms, a boy, named Trent, J.R.

FADE OUT.

THE END


End file.
